RavInX : Two Hearts beat as One
by Dixxy
Summary: Two Sorceresses. Two Hearts. But in the end... ONE Love ! They used to be enemies, they will be more than friends. But any kind of so-called "forbidden love" is hard to live freely... No sex, only emotions and feelings : tenderness, care, but also dread, worry... Dedicated to my FFriend xXSoulDragonXx, dearest to my heart. N'JOY !
1. Dawn

**RavInX : Two Hearts beat as One**

**)))) FoReWoRd ((((**

**Howdy, Folks ! :D**

**So for those of ya who don't know me, ya have to know that I'm one of those chatty authors who can't start a story wzout writing a "Foreword", i.e. an introduction where I hint a bit about the story, the plot, the characters aso. So for those of ya (repetition much ? ;D) who are of the impatient kind – and don't misunderstand me : I DO respect that kind ! :D -, ya can skip this part and press that "Next" button at the end. And for those who don't mind reading this intro : my gratitude is all yours !**

**So early this morning (July 15****th****), I published a horror one-shot titled SPOOKY, and there I am already starting a new fic' that'll be completely different. Not a one-shot, and nothing to do wz horror, this time. The thing is, I like changing styles regularly, to avoid monotony.**

**No, this one will actually be… a love story ! So yeah, completely different from the last dreadful stuff, eh eh ! I already put romance in other stories of mine, but it generally never was the central theme of the plot (although a prominent topic in my first sTTory, 8). The only exception was my MBC fiction A HUNDRED MILLION SUNS, a lesbian love story, in which feelings constituted the core of the plot.**

**Well, this one new fic' here also will be a girlXgirl romance. If you've read the brief description of the story, you shall know by now who the girls involved are. I've always had a soft spot for these 2 females, and thought that their similar mastery of magic, "strong" nature, gothic clothes and pale complexion would account good enough for my "putting them together".**

**And why would a mature male write a lesbian love story, might you ask ? So first of all, there are no sexual scenes involved - at most could I put 2-3 brief snogging moments, but no further than this (hence the T rating) – so I don't do it out of voyeurism or perversity. Clearly not. And those doing it for such reasons must get examined and cured quick quick quick ! XD No, in fact I've had a long-time interest in women's feelings, tenderness, love, but also fears, dreads, doubts. I'm honestly more interested in female psychological patterns, female natures than male ones. That explains why I've been called a feminist. But, funnily enough, it happens to be true : I ****AM**** a feminist, thus the living proof that feminists are **_**not**__**strictly**_** women ! :D Therefore do I have more consideration for women than for men… but I certainly don't despise men neither : I just respect them a tad less, because I think they do more mischief than women, in general. Hope I'm not hurting anyone's sensibility here. But that's my own subjectivity.**

**So much for opening my heart and speaking totally sincerely to my audience. See, I'm the straightforward kind, so I basically tend to expose the plain truth, may others like it… or not. But sincerity is always preferable, no matter what, I've learned.**

**To sum it up, this fic' here will involve mostly feelings of one person for another… of the same gender. These feelings will range from positive ones, such as tenderness, love and joy, to negative ones such as fear, doubt or anger. The idea is really to give ya readers an insight on the characters' "inner life", i.e. feelings and emotions (in this respect, I will probably include the emoticlones at some point… coz, eh eh, I love them ! Great idea that these embodiments of emotions, btw ! Kudos to the one who had that idea !)**

**Right. I think ya have a general idea of the whole picture. Needless to say that homophobes are most UNwelcome here, and that I shall ignore negative feedback relating to lesbian haters. But on the contrary, all CONS-TRUC-TIVE criticism is most welcome, and I'm pleased in anticipation to read your feedbacks on the story. Just one thing : please DO develop your review a bit, and don't just put banal stuff already seen 10'000'000 times at least, such as "nice chapter", "luv this story" or "please update". Coz these honestly are no REAL reviews. A good review is one that would let the author(ess) know how ya feel exactly about the chappy, why ya liked it, what suggestions ya wanna make about style, grammar and such. If ya put these elements in your feedback, then you're doing the correct job of reviewing… whereas those super-short comments I've mentioned, while still supportive to the author, are kinda frustrating, as they are so banal and "lazy"…**

**Oh, one last thing : the third letter of the title "RavInX" is a "i" in upper case, not a "L" in lower case. Title's a blend between "Raven" and "Jinx"… but cunning you's probably had got it all, eh ? ;))) And as for the second part, TWO HEARTS BEAT AS ONE refers to the song of the same name by U2, taken from their album WAR, back in 1983 (the one which contained SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY and NEW YEAR'S DAY).**

**And now's time to shut my big mouth and let ya enjoy that fiction. Fingers X you'll like it. So, without further ado, time for me to conclude with my trademark-formula to ya readers :**

**N'JOY !**

**:::: Léo ::::**


	2. The First Hesitation

**) I (**

**)))) ThE fIrSt HeSiTaTiOn ((((**

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"Titans GO !" ordered Robin, as he started first for the double door leading outside of the common room.

Starfire followed the leader, swiftly floating out of the room.

"Ready to kick butt, Green Bean ?" Cy asked on a conniving tone.

"You bet, Metal Man !" said BB, referring to the famous boss of the same name in the videogame MEGAMAN 2. **(A/N : authentic ! I'm a great fan of the MEGAMAN franchise, so here's paying a lil' tribute to one of Nintendo's greatest heroes… MEGAMAN ! *** I'm a huge Nintendo fan ! *** )**

The half-robot exited after the Tamaranean.

Meanwhile, Raven had pulled her hood up, as she always did prior to a fight, and was about to lift off.

"And you, Rae, ready to kick butt ?" teased the changeling.

The sorceress turned to him, keeping her composure.

"I wouldn't say it that way, but to answer your question : I'm **always** ready to fight !" she said in her monotone.

"Ah ah, that's our Rae Rae !" he yelled, smiling.

She frowned at him, although he couldn't tell because of her hood. But her monotone let him know about her upset, as it was somewhat curt this time.

"Rae is okay, Rae Rae is not. So I would appreciate if you avoided duplicating it."

He looked at her, somewhat puzzled.

"Dupli-what ?"

She sighed, her frown vanishing.

"Nevermind. Let's not waste more time. The others are waiting."

This being said, she floated outside the common room.

"That's one _hell_ of a girl…" he muttered to himself. "Which is kinda logical, for a half-_demon_ !"

He burst out laughing at his own pun and ran out of the room, to catch up with his fellow Titans.

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"That was a piece of cake, really !" said See-More as he exited the broken front window of the jewellery.

He looked inside the bag he was carrying and smiled.

"Nice colored glass, eh ?" asked Billy Numerous, using a funny metaphor for the jewellery.

"Oooooh yes, Man !" exclaimed the one-eyed boy.

"Now we must hurry up to avoid the Titans !" screamed Mammoth.

"Not a chance they catch us ! Those damn Titans will not be able to stop us this time !" reacted Gizmo as he turned the corner, the others on his heels.

"Surprise !" yelled a happy voice in front of them.

It was Beast Boy who had spoken. The five Teen Titans were now facing the five members of the criminal organization known as H.I.V.E. Five.

"Speaking of the devil…" said Jinx under her breath, gritting her teeth.

"Jewels or fight ?" asked Robin in a decided tone.

"What do you think ?" replied Gizmo.

"We're on !" yelled Cyborg.

"Titans, GO !" concluded the Boy Wonder.

And then all hell broke loose.

Each of the Titans chose an adversary : Starfire VS Jinx, Raven VS Billy Numerous, Robin VS Gizmo, Beast Boy VS See-More and Cyborg VS Mammoth.

The changeling turned into a rhino and knocked the one-eyed boy down. The enemy tried to get up, but the morpher turned into a heel and sent enough high voltage in his adversary's body to have him pass out.

Mammoth avoided Cyborg's ray and punched him, sweeping the African-American away like he was a mere wisp of straw. But the muscular foe didn't have that much time to enjoy his blow, as he was himself swept away as well… by a gigantic tail, belonging to a green dinosaur ! He crashed pretty hard against a wall and, receiving a second tail blow as he was standing up, ended up losing consciousness.

Robin, on his side, had been trapped in a mechanical device of Gizmo's. He squirmed to free himself, but naturally in vain. He was neutralized, and the brilliant midget mocked him for that.

Raven was outnumbered by Billy Numerous, and despite her efforts to annihilate his replicas, she couldn't totally get rid of them. Therefore, while she was busy with part of the foes, the real Billy got behind her, then suddenly rushed by her side and cast a powerful fist straight in the empath's stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs and provoking her collapse.

Finally, Jinx had managed to get the best of Starfire, unleashing a super pink wave at her and thus wiping her out of sight, the Tamaranean landing further away.

The sorceress with the cat's eyes – thus nicknamed because of the vertical pupils she shared with felines – smirked and turned around, just in time to see Cyborg's powerful beam destroy the device holding Robin prisoner.

Therefore, the three male Titans were free and ready to fight, while the female Titans were temporary k.o.

Jinx, turning around to take everything in, noticed all that, and also that Mammoth was slowly moving on the ground, regaining consciousness, and she was heading to check on him when she suddenly caught sight of all the Billy Numerous being thrown back by a dark energy wave.

Turning her face to the left, she saw Raven taking her arms down and watching her "demultiplied" enemy with narrowed eyes. **(A/N : ok, that word doesn't exist… but, as a great fan of made-up's, I tell ya that, now, it DOES exist ! ;P)**

Rae's hood was down for once, following her fall, and she hadn't taken time to put it back up, rushing instead to attack.

The pink-haired sorceress froze in her tracks and stared at the other female magician.

She had never seen the violet-haired magician without her hood on, and therefore didn't know what she looked like.

And she got surprised by the Azarathian's pulchritude. **(A/N : Yeah, I know, that's kind of literary… but I like to use new words ! Sue me ! XD)**

She had always thought that Raven, as a half-demon, was ugly, like a real witch. But she now realized that the Dark Titan wasn't ugly… even on the contrary !

Raven hadn't seen Jinx, who was positioned laterally from her, but Gizmo, who had fled away from the other Titans, had noticed that Jinx was close to the empath, and had the opportunity to "get" her.

"KILL HER !" screamed the young mastermind, looking at his fellow criminal.

The female member of the H.I.V.E. Five stared at him, not quite certain whether he was referring to Raven or to Starfire, so she hesitated and stood there, motionless.

The young genius felt his anger level rise significantly in no time. Couldn't that bloody female understand he was hinting to the only female opponent who was near her right now ?

"KILL **THE WITCH** !" he yelled even louder, avoiding to mention the name Raven, so that the empath wouldn't directly understand that Gizmo was asking Jinx to kill **her** !

But Rae was far cleverer to be deceived that easily. Besides, "the witch" could refer to only two persons: Jinx and herself, since they were the only two with magical powers. And since Gizmo was addressing Jinx, then "the witch" logically was herself, Raven.

The pink-haired sorceress looked at the violet-haired one, pondering what Gizmo had just ordered her to do. But while she usually never thought things up when it came down do fighting an enemy, this time, curiously, she didn't attack her foe straight away and instead reflected, looking almost concerned.

The cloaked girl had turned to Jinx and positioned herself in a fighting stance, ready for the incoming onslaught.

But her adversary seemed irresolute about what exactly she was to do.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR ?! KILL THAT BLOODY WITCH !" yelled the tiny boy, as loud as he possibly could, wrath governing him entirely now.

Abruptly drawn from her thoughts by that powerful scream, Jinx flinched and, after a quick glance towards the leader of their group, she adopted an attack attitude, but it was really with reluctance, as it was obvious she for once wasn't self-confident in battle.

Raven, as for her, had noticed that there clearly was hesitancy in Jinx's behaviour, and it actually was the first time that such a thing happened. The enemy sorceress usually fought with confidence and had never showed such weakness signs. Hence the Azarathian's slight surprise about this.

Jinx didn't want to attack first and merely stared at Raven who, sensing the other's uneasiness, suddenly and quite unexpectedly found herself hesitant to attack as well.

"Come on ! Let's retreat !" shouted someone.

They all turned their heads towards the speaker.

It was See-More.

"Don't you hear ?" he screamed again.

And sure enough, in the distance, police sirens were howling… and getting closer and closer !

"The cops are coming ! Let's get out of here !" added Mammoth.

"He's right ! We'll be outnumbered, with Titans and police together !" concluded Billy Numerous.

They were all looking at Gizmo, including Jinx, waiting for him to give the official order for a withdrawal from the battlefield.

The young technology nerd, who was clearly seething, quickly looked in the direction the menacing sound was coming from, then back at his troops and at the Titans.

"And fuck it !" he whispered to himself. "ALRIGHT, YOU WIN THIS TIME, CREEPS, BUT BE SURE NEXT TIME WE'LL GIVE YOU A GOOD THRASHING !"

And with that, he started for the nearest back alley, Billy Numerous soon on his heels, then See-More, Mammoth bringing up the rear.

But Jinx wasn't with them.

She saw them run away, then rapidly jerked her head back to Raven and fixed her gaze on her.

The Goth, after seeing how the evil mob fled, turned her violet orbs to the front and saw the sorceress with the cat's eyes staring at her.

She raised a brow.

"JINX !"

The addressee swiftly cast her head to the right again.

Mammoth was standing, alone, at the entrance of the back alley and was motioning for her to come back, with him.

The other three were already gone, perhaps thinking she was following and at least not checking on her.

Jinx looked back towards Raven, remained motionless a few seconds, watching the empath, who watched back, and finally rushed to Mammoth, soon disappearing with him into the back alley… but not without a last look at the cloaked Titan !

"Glory ! We are the winners once again ! How great !" shrilled Starfire, who had come back from her previous landing place, to which Jinx had cast her.

"Booyaaaaa !" exclaimed Cy, pumping his fist into the air.

"Dude, we're too strong !" concluded BB.

Robin was already collecting the stolen jewellery bags. Then he walked back to his gathered teammates, smiling.

"As always, fine team work ! Well done, everybody !"

He gave a thumb up to his friends.

All smiled back at him.

Then Raven directed her gaze to the back alley in which Jinx had disappeared.

And she slightly frowned.

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The return home had been a perfect example of uneasiness : neither Jinx nor Gizmo or Mammoth had breathed a single word, the only one apparently willing to say something being Billy Numerous. But no one had condescended to reply to him.

After a while, new attempt, and this time, after long seconds of silence, See More had awkwardly answered something vague.

There had still been another attempt of communication, involving the same two, but the remaining three members didn't make even the slightest effort to open their mouths.

Gizmo because he was inwardly fuming, and waited to be home to "explode".

Jinx because part of her was pondering something precise and part of her was dreading Gizmo's future outburst.

And Mammoth because he sensed the tension between the two and it made him nervous, disappointed and sad all at the same time, therefore pretty reluctant to communicate.

Silence ruled the five evil teammates as they reached their headquarters.

Billy Numerous and See More headed to the sofa, where they crashed with loud sighs, Mammoth took a chair in a corner and merely sat there with arms crossed, waiting the unavoidable, but Gizmo as for him couldn't sit. He was far too livid for that, and began pacing the "lounge" restlessly, frowning at the ground.

Jinx, as for her, tried to discreetly leave for her room… but the small boy spotted her right when she was about to exit the place !

"Where are you going ?" he dryly asked.

She gulped.

"To my room. I have nausea."

His face remained a mask of anger.

No pity for her.

Not on that day.

"I don't care. You'll go once you have explained yourself. Not before."

The sorceress faked puzzlement.

"Explained myself ?"

The midget glared hard at the grey-skinned female.

"Yeah, exactly : _**explained yourself**_ !" he repeated, putting great emphasis on the words, as he enunciated them with exaggerate slowness and clarity.

There was a pause.

He looked at her with evident harshness, obviously determined to get to the bottom of it.

"I'm sorry… I wasn't in top shape today…" she muttered.

But he didn't buy it.

"In years of criminal collaboration, you've never failed once. So why today ? You claimed you were not in top shape. But why weren't you ? What made you feel so bad that you didn't attack your enemy ? Mmmmh ?"

She swallowed.

_What will I reply ?_

Seconds went by.

"JINX !" he screamed, more irascible than ever.

It's not that he was losing patience : it was that the impatience level was dangerously raising, and, should it "overflow", then…

"I was afraid… afraid that if I attacked Raven… she would kill me !"

This astounded everyone in the room, even Gizmo.

Jinx, the fearless Jinx, afraid of being killed ? That was absolutely not like her !

For a long moment, nobody could think of anything to say, so confused they were.

They had never seen the "pink witch", as they nicknamed her, hesitate or fear anybody or anything.

The sorceress glanced at each of her teammates in turn, anxiously scrutinizing their faces to try to know what they felt. What they thought about her. If they would believe it.

And, perhaps most importantly, if they would forgive her…

After a long moment, Gizmo sighed, a clearly upset sigh.

"I don't know what made you think that she could kill you, but you must forget it. You're stronger than her, and next time you face her… you'll have to destroy her ! Okay ?"

His tone was firm.

She nodded, gulping again.

The young mastermind then left the room, giving her a knowing look as he walked past her.

Jinx let out a long sigh, feeling oppression leave her chest.

Mammoth got up, walked to her and laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Will you be okay, Jinki ?"

That was his little nickname for her. Mammoth indeed has a strong friendship bond with her, he was her confident and always was the most supportive, doing his best to comfort her each time she was upset or sad, which actually rarely happen.

She looked up at him and gave a shadow of a smile.

"Yeah… I guess I will…"

Billy Numerous had switched on TV and was flicking through the channels.

"In case you want to speak to me, you know I'm here for you…" the muscular beast reminded her.

Billy Numerous suddenly stopped flicking and frowned at the channel he had "arrived" on.

"Yes, I know, Mammoth. Thanks for being such a wonderful friend to me !" the black-clad teen replied somewhat sadly.

"Damn, we get busted by those Titans, and guess who we find on the TV once home ? Them again !" exclaimed the "multiplier", as they called Numerous.

Both Mammoth and Jinx turned their attention to the screen and saw a presenter speaking in a mike. By him was Jump City's mayor, and in the background were… the Teen Titans !

The presenter then handed over the mike to the mayor.

"We owe a lot to the Teen Titans…"

But the speech was cut short as Billy changed channel, saying : "Enough of them !"

The horn-haired witch ran to him.

"Please put it back on !"

The red-clad boy raised a brow.

"What ? You wanna watch those losers ? Those who beat us all the time ?"

_Stay calm, Jinx, stay calm ! Don't yell at him ! Things got bad enough with Gizmo before ! Now's not the time for another clash with another teammate…_

"I want to hear why they're on TV. We never see them on. I just wonder why now. Please put the channel back on, Billy ! Please !"

The "multiplier" was surprised to hear the usually self-confident girl suddenly beg. It was totally unlike her.

But he did what she wanted and, sighing, pressed a button on the remote, putting the talking mayor back on.

"…beautiful city wants to pay homage to our dear heros as due. Therefore, Teens Titans, please accept the Golden Cross for putting in jail your millionth criminal. We are proud and honored to have you among our citizens and ensure you of our heartfelt thanks and endless gratitude !"

Jinx barely listened to the mayor's speech. Her vertical pupils were drawn, almost as if magnetically, by one of the persons in the back, and her eyes didn't move from that person.

The mayor turned to the heroes and Robin, as the group's natural representative, stepped forward and stretched out his arms to receive the award.

Behind him, Raven (who had her hood down, for good manners' sake), Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy were smiling.

Still staring, Jinx licked her lips, suddenly realizing they were all dry, as was her mouth. Also, she hadn't noticed it, but her heartbeats' speed had increased.

"Thank you so very much for all the good you bring to Jump City !" warmly spoke the city's official as he energetically shook the Boy Wonder's hand.

"No, Sir, it's me who have to thank you for this reward, but mostly for welcoming us in your city. We are proud to defend our fellow citizens and my teammates join with me to express our common gratitude."

He turned to his friends, who all made a slight bow.

Jinx seemed hypnotized. Her eyes were fixed and her body motionless, and she held her breath as she intensely focused her look on the left part of the screen, where stood…

"Okay ! They got an award for kicking bad guys' asses, like ours, for instance ! Big deal ! Can we change the channel now, since we know why they were on TV after all ?" complained Billy.

The presenter said a few more words, then handed back to the studio for the rest of the news.

Jinx let out a long inner sigh.

"Jinx ! I can change channel now, can't I ?"

The young sorceress started and turned to Billy Numerous, who watched her, somewhat grumpily.

"Yes, you can …" she said, this time with an outer sigh.

She briefly eyed the screen, to make sure the Titans were gone, then turned around and, almost shuffling her feet, walked in direction of the hallway.

"I'll be in my room" she succinctly said to Mammoth in a low voice, convinced the others wouldn't pay attention as they were now busy watching TV.

The large half-animal gazed at her, a sorry expression on his features.

"Alright. I'm here for you if need be. Don't hesitate."

She forced herself to smile, agreeing to make this effort just for him.

"Thanks a lot, Mamm !" she replied, using her nickname for him. "I don't deserve such an awesome friend as you…"

His mouth arched up.

"You do, trust me."

To her own surprise, she managed to widen her smile while she really wasn't in a smiling mood.

She resumed walking and, once in her bedroom, let herself collapse heavily on her bed, and grabbed the pillow, which she clung to her chest.

The mind of the pink-haired female was swarming with thoughts and images.

There was warmth in her body, especially in her heart.

But a violent shiver suddenly spread throughout her whole organism.

The last sentence Gizmo had uttered before leaving kept replaying in her memory.

That horrible last sentence…

She dreaded that "next time" in anticipation.

Dreaded to have to face _her_ again.

Dreaded to have that unbearable pressure on her shoulders again, with the others watching, all ready (except for Mammoth, most certainly) to disapprove of her and severely blame her. So that time, it wouldn't be just Gizmo, but See More and Billy Numerous as well.

But what could she do ?

She didn't want to do what Gizmo had ordered her to do "next time", in the very last part of that ultimate sentence he had pronounced prior to leaving.

She just _couldn't_ !

Even if both sorceresses were enemies, one being a superheroin, the other a criminal.

No, she couldn't. Not now. Not anymore.

Because she had felt a change initiate itself inside of her.

And this change made all the difference.

Her thoughts kept coming back to the same person.

And to the threat hanging over her head, and that was linked to that person.

"…_next time you face her…"_

Jinx shut her eyes tight as she remembered how that sentence ended.

Seconds later, a first tear rolled down her check and landed on the pillow she was holding tightly against her chest…

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**Alright, that's it for chappy one !**

**I know that it's more Jinx than Raven despite the story description "Raven, Jinx", but it will be more equal / well-balanced later. Next chapter will still include both, but perhaps be more focused on Jinx. We'll see how I'll craft it, if I follow my idea until the end or not.**

**I also know that Jinx is OOC, but figure out I'm known for regularly making the canon characters act differently than they do in the actual show. It's interesting to explore new possibilities, even if it implies leaving the "safety" of the well-known road and venturing in unknown landscapes… but aren't imagination, creativity, originality, difference really interesting, which make life so much more fascinating ? Personally, I DO worship these notions, and model my life on them ! **

**So that's it for now. Thanxxxx beforehand to any of the readers and reviewers of this new story of mine. Your opinion matters a lot ! CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is more than welcome to, as are any suggestions ! Thank you very much, Folks !**

**Oh, and one last thing : it's my fifth year on FanFiction, which I joined on August 11****th**** 2009, and to celebrate this, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Xiang Li, the creator of this amazing website which stimulates in the best way people's imaginations and enable them to spend their time in a far more productive manner than all these social networks and other fashionable gimmick-like sites. Thanxxxx to all FF staff as well, and naturally to all FF contributors, i.e. writers, notably… YOU, reading this right now ! LONG LIVE FANFICTION !**

**Signing off for now !**

**Take care !**

**Peace, Love, Ecstasy !**

**))))))))))))))))))) The Last Starfighter ((((((((((((((((((((**


	3. The Breaking Point

**)) II ((**

**)))) ThE bReAkInG pOiNt ((((**

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**Hey People !**

**Waow, what can I say ? I published the first chapter on Wednesday, and on Saturday (early) morning, I had already 3 story alerts, 1 story favorite and 1 review. Not too bad, in only three days.**

**So let's go directly to the THANK department, shall we ?**

**THANXXXX to FLSHGORDON003 and KOFEEJINX for following this fiction**

**SPECIAL THANXXXX to KARATEGIRL01 for favoriting it**

**EXTRA SPECIAL THANXXXX to CHAOSRIN for both following AND reviewing it**

**Ya guys all made my days since then and I express you my deepest gratitude for showing interest in my fic'. **

**Also, while I'm appreciative to ya all, I would like to encourage ya to imitate Chaosrin and leave reviews, if you like a chapter. Following and/or favoriting a story is evidently flattering, and make the author's day, BUT the best of all rewards are the reviews. It enables ya guys to state / precise WHY ya liked the chappy, WHAT ya found cool in it and also what can be IMPROVED (constructive criticism). All this constitutes a precious help for an author, as it helps him/her seeing what are the strong and weak points of his/her story. So yeah, I would be even more grateful to ya if ya did leave reviews next time ya enjoy a chappy. Why not already after reading this one ? ;)**

**That's it for the introducing speech, now's time to**

**N'JOY !**

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"And there it is !" concluded Gizmo, arms crossed, smiling. He sure was proud of his plan for their new robbery. "You guys got everything ?"

"Yup !" merely replied Billy.

"Clear enough !" answered See More.

"No problem !" added Mammoth.

Then came silence.

They all turned to Jinx and noticed that she was staring away dreamily, her mind set on a far different topic than the mundane one of the robbery.

"Hey Jinx !" the mastermind called louder, his voice somewhere between a normally loud utterance and a real yell.

The horn-haired sorceress jolted and turned her pink irises towards the leader.

"You didn't listen to a word I said, did you ?" he said naughtily.

"Of course I did !"

"Then what's your role in the plan ?"

He was standing, arms crossed, looking menacingly at her.

"To break the lock of the cash escort's armored car, so that See More can use his Flash Eyeball to blind the guards and allow Billy to knock them out, while Mammoth will take care of carrying the bags of cash to the outside."

Gizmo goggled.

She had it all correct.

She may have look absent-minded a minute ago, but she definitely _had_ been listening to the whole plan.

"Did I forget something or make a mistake somewhere ?" she asked, smirking as she crossed her arms (her turn now to cross them !)

The small guy shook himself out of his stupor and fixed his eyes on her.

"No, no, you got it all right…"

She decided to make the most of her advantage.

"So you accused me unfairly, didn't you ?" she continued, her smile growing wider.

He looked at her, silent for a few seconds. Then frowned at her.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong. There, ya happy ?"

She took her chin between thumb and forefinger, faking reflection, as if she was deciding whether she would agree to wipe the slate clean.

Finally, she narrowed her eyes and smirked some more.

"I will be happy… only when, additionally to admitting your mistake, you will have apologized !"

He made a shocked face.

"Hey, come on, Jinx, anybody can make mistakes !"

She snorted.

"Sure. Who said the contrary ? But when you accuse someone wrongly, you have to make amend… by apologizing !"

Gizmo let out a pretty violent sigh and grumbled under his breath.

"Eh, she's right Gizmo !" said Mammoth.

"Yup, Man, she is !" confirmed Billy Numerous.

"Definitely !" concluded See-More.

The mastermind took a good look at each of his vis-à-vis in turn and, realizing they all supported their female teammate, he showed signs of vexation.

"Okay, okay, okay, fine ! I-AM-SORRY ! Better now ?" he screamed.

" _Much _better." she simply replied with a smirk, and walked away, pleased with herself, feeling lighter now, while she had been a tad anxious before, thinking of…

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"RAVEN !"

The empath gritted her teeth and quickly opened her eyes, frowning as she was way bothered by the loud yell of the changeling.

She had been meditating by the large picture window enabling the Titans to watch the city from their Tower, and then the alarm had started to blare, yet she had been swiftly finishing her meditation, a matter of a few seconds… and during these few seconds preceding her moving to the operations table, he had been screaming her name to make her come down for the briefing !

The grey girl uncrossed her legs, still levitating nevertheless, and floated down towards her friends.

Once landed, she glared at the morpher, mouth arched down.

"Beast Boy, do NOT scream like that when calling me ! I can perfectly hear if you simply raise your voice ! And please avoid calling me when the alarm is still sounding : I may be meditating, but I DO hear sounds anyway, and I therefore do not take long to come down and join you all ! In other words : you DON'T have to call me ! Just wait for me to arrive ! Did you understand ?"

Her stare was so hard on him that he backed away a bit.

"Eh eh… errr… sure ?" he stuttered, smiling nervously, sweatdropping.

Robin had pressed the red button and, on the large screen affixed to the wall, a criminal scene appeared : an armored car was immobilized, across the street, and several people were walking towards it.

"The H.I.V.E. Five !" Robin grumbled belligerently.

"These guys seriously miss butt-kicks !" exclaimed BB.

"Well, why don't we help them by giving them some ?" proposed Cy, smirking.

Both friends guffawed.

Raven shook her head, sighing.

"Boys…" she monotoned. **(A/N : Yeah, this is indeed a 'wink' to the two times she says this : once in SWITCHED and once in CAR TROUBLE… and it made me smile so wide when I saw her expression as she uttered that !XD)**

"What is it, friend Raven ? Is there a problem with boys ?" innocently asked Star.

The sorceress looked at her stoically, having learned to deal with her alien teammate's gullibility.

"Star, there _always_ is some problem going on with boys…"

"TITANS, GO !" ordered Robin.

And in a flash, they were gone from the common room.

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Jinx had forced the doors of the armored car open with a particularly powerful pink wave of hers, and after See-More had blinded the guards, Billy Numerous soon had them knocked out.

Mammoth climbed inside the vehicle and seized two large bags, while Billy and See-More took care of one together, as a single person alone couldn't lift such heavy bags.

Gizmo made a remote-controlled small metal vehicle pull in, just by the armored car, and his teammates began loading the bags in it.

Soon, Mammoth brought the last bag of money and stuffed it into the vehicle, then rubbed his hands several times, indicating that he was done and that they could therefore leave.

"And there it is ! We've got enough for a while ! Now let's hurry out of here and - "

He was cut short as the vehicle got encased in dark intangible matter and, leaving the road, slowly started to float upwards.

The H.I.V.E. Five jerked their heads around…

..and sure enough, behind them, in the distance, were the silhouettes of the Teen Titans !

A familiar figure was levitating above the other four members of the group, a blue cloak billowing in the soft breeze, arms stretched towards the gang, black auras around the hands.

Jinx swallowed as she recognized Raven's outline.

"Damn witch !" yelled the mastermind, shaking his fist in direction of the sorceress.

Another silhouette took off and stopped by Raven, while a third one turned into an eagle and rose in the air as well.

The two remaining Titans got back to their vehicle – a motorcycle and a car – and all five superheroes took the direction of the five bad guys. Or, more precisely, of the four bad guys and the one bad girl.

And soon, the battle started, each Titan facing his/her own villain.

Raven had to deal with a small laser cannon shooting in multiple directions, that Gizmo kept on targeting at her.

Jinx did her best to adapt to the various shapes that Beast Boy took, once sending pink waves at him, once avoiding his attacks.

Cyborg cast his laser beam at See-More, who used a gigantic eyeball as shield and then made

the latter roll in direction of the half-robot.

Mammoth had to deal with the formidable power of the Star Bolts, together with the green rays the Tamaranean shot from her eyes.

As for Robin, he was busy trying to escape the ubiquitous presence of Billy Numerous, who was here, there and everywhere. **(A/N : this is a private "wink" to the Fab Four, who have written a song called HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE, back in 1966)**

Soon enough, the Boy Wonder had been outnumbered by the red-clad clones.

Soon enough, Jinx had cast a super-attack towards Wolf-BB and had him fall pretty hard on the concrete.

Soon enough, Star had neutralized her large foe thanks to her most powerful power orbs.

Soon enough, See-More had the Teen Titans Tech paralyzed by way of his new Still Flash eye glare.

And soon enough had Raven destroyed the small boy's cannon, using her energy to wring the device and thus make him totally harmless.

TT and HF were almost on a par, but the baddies had one more victim to their credit.

But that was not counting with Rae's great powers.

The cloaked female teleported by See-More and her eyes cast her own dark rays straight into his own, blinding him and thus stopping the paralyzing effect on Cy.

Then she teleported to Billy Numerous and had countless black tendrils come out from under her cloak **(A/N : does that sound familiar, Dr. Light ? XD)**, each then seizing one of Numerous's replicas and holding it firmly prisoner.

Next, she appeared by Mammoth and trapped his feet in a large dark rectangle resting on the ground, and which he clearly couldn't move out of.

Gizmo had seen the whole sequence and knew that the Dark Titan would soon materialize either by Jinx or by himself, so he quickly pulled a small electronic bangle that he tied to his wrist.

He looked up from said wrist just in time to see Raven show up opposite Jinx.

That's what the mastermind hoped for : that the half-demon would choose his pink-haired teammate instead of himself, for her next onslaught ! That way, he would have time to catch that damn grey-skinned girl by surprise with his latest invention !

Jinx stared at the slender figure opposite her, and at those violet eyes silently watching her.

For some mysterious reason, while Rae had attacked on the spot the male members of HF, and neutralized them in seconds, regarding Jinx, she didn't do anything and merely looked at her, paying much attention to the other wizard's reaction or moves.

"Why don't you attack m- AAAAAAH !"

Raven's body had just been struck by a white beam, which had trapped her body in a shimmering white envelope. As a result, the poor victim's body had arched forward before collapsing down, her hood falling back from her head.

Jinx looked at Gizmo, who had his arm stretched out at Raven and was laughing.

"SO, HOW DO YOU LIKE MY NEW INVENTION, WITCH ?" he bellowed on a self-confident tone.

The white beam imprisoning Rae was naturally coming out of the metal bracelet Gizmo had put on.

Jinx felt her heartbeats race and a sudden pain clenched her chest.

"GIZMO ! STOP !" screamed the pink-haired one.

The smile vanished from the bald boy's face.

"WHAT ?! WHY SHOULD I STOP ?! YOU PITY HER OR WHAT ?!" he yelled.

His female temmate bit her lip.

"NO, I DON'T ! BUT I'LL FIGHT HER MYSELF ! LET ME TAKE HER DOWN MY WAY ! PLEASE !"

_Will he buy it ? Will he believe what I just said ? God, please have him stop it !_

She felt worry crush her heart, as she helplessly watched Raven writhe under the pain. She felt anguish, as she hoped she would have convinced Gizmo.

"OKAY THEN !" he said after a while, and turned his beam off. "KILL HER !" And after a couple of seconds, during which he recalled Jinx's weakness last time, he added : "NO HESITATION, THIS TIME !"

Nervous, she licked her lips as she heard that, and turned her attention to the sorceress now slowly getting up, wincing as she still felt a bit of the beam's effect in her body.

Her hood was still down and Jinx could see the violet irises staring at her, a slight frown showing her confusion.

_Why isn't she attacking me ? Gizmo asked her to, yet all she does is look at me intensely… Am I impressing her or what ? It's the second time she seems… like hypnotized ! What's wrong with her ?_

"JINX ! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR ?"

The "cat-eyed" grey teen jolted and suddenly took her arms up, in direction of Raven, whose eyes grew wider.

Then slightly moved them to the right, imperceptibly modifying her aim…

Raven lifted her arms as well, but not fast enough : pink waves left Jinx's hands…

…and flew short by the Goth's head, crashing against a wall far behind !

The violet-haired girl felt her temperature lower, realizing that danger had barely missed her !

Jinx moved her arms again towards her fellow wizard, and the later summoned a dark shield just as her foe, swiftly moving her arms slightly to the left, released new pink waves…

…which again narrowly missed the half-demon, demolishing a car behind !

Raven's frown intensified, as she saw, puzzled, her adversary fail to touch her for the second time.

The pink-haired sorceress then aimed at the violet-haired one for the third time…

… and for the third time, just missed her target, the pink attack almost brushing the violet hair !

Rae was definitely perplexed regarding those three misses in a row.

_What makes her move her hands each time, prior to releasing her power ? It's obvious that she changes her aim right before letting her attack out, therefore she misses me. But she does it __**willingly**__, she clearly does ! But why would she want to avoid hitting me, since we're enemies ?_

Jinx's teammates were also surprised to see her misfire that often. She rarely ever missed her target, and now did… **three** times in a row ?!

"CAN'T YOU AIM BETTER ?! YOU MISS HER EACH TIME ! IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO DO BETTER, I'LL DO IT MYSELF !" yelled Gizmo.

Jinx was sweating, her throat pretty dry, and her heartbeats banging still as fast. She took her arms down and merely stared at the violet eyes, at the grey skin, at the violet hair, at the slender body.

Rae, as for her, still hadn't attack, too surprised by the attitude of the other female wizard. And she also let her arms down, allowing the black shield to disappear. It had actually never been of any use, since the enemy was NOT willing to aim her onslaughts where she should…

Then, the most unexpected happened : Jinx turned around and ran away as quickly as she was able to, leaving everybody, Titans and Hives, completely baffled !

Gizmo let out a curse and, taking out a remote, directed it at See-More then pushed a green button.

A green ray came out of the remote and hit the African-American.

The next second, the Eye-man was standing by Gizmo, magically teleported.

The mastermind then aimed at Mammoth and pressed again. The large enemy received the green ray as well and, immediately after, he was right beside Gizmo and See-More.

"BILLY ! REMOVE YOUR DOUBLES SO I CAN FIND YOU !" screamed the bald midget.

The addressee did as he was told, and soon only one Billy Numerous was imprisoned by a dark tendril.

A pressure on a button and a green ray later, the "multiplier" was with his friends as well.

"Hey ! Come back !" shouted BB, running in their direction, then morphing into an eagle which flew in their direction.

"Sorry, but we can't stay any longer ! You win this one, but next time, we'll make sure to bring you down, Titans !"

"You stay HERE !" ordered Robin, running to them as well.

But Gizmo had already thrown a small ball to the ground.

As the ball shattered, it freed a huge smokescreen in front of the Hives, which immediately spread and prevented the Titans to see their adversaries any longer.

The green eagle hovered before the smoke, screaming out its upset.

The cloud didn't last that long, but once it had lifted off, the four enemies evidently were out of sight !

"Damn !" cursed Cyborg under his breath.

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"She's going to pay for what she did !" threateningly repeated Gizmo, shaking his forefinger.

"Yeah, she has to pay ! She just ran away from the battlefield ! She never acted that way ! Did Jinx turn into a coward ?" Billy Numerous loudly said.

Mammoth hadn't breathed a word up to then, but when he heard his friend being potentially insulted, he felt that he could not just let it pass.

"Listen, mates ! There obviously is something that perturbs her about Raven. She has been hesitating to fight her twice, and she finally ran away after a few attacks only. I think we should talk to her about this, and try to see what the problem is."

The small genius glared at the big mutant.

"She hesitated and she fled from the battlefield, as you said, but she also missed her adversary three times in a row ! Three goddamn times ! No less ! That's unworthy of a H.I.V.E. Five member ! If she's unable to fight her opponents, then she hasn't got the "level" anymore, and so she's got nothing to do with us anymore !"

Mammoth couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You want to kick her out of the group ?"

Gizmo didn't reply.

"Look, Mammoth, I don't want to see Jinx out neither…" began See-More "…but if she can't measure up anymore, then… can she still claim she's a villain ? Being a villain means being able to stand against the "good guys", so if she hesitates several times when facing the enemy, or misses several times, or even flee… I mean, a villain can't allow these things to happen ! I don't hate Jinx, but she might as well stay out of our business if she becomes of no use in battles !"

The muscular one was seething.

"I can't believe it ! We've been friends with her for so long now, and because she suddenly fails twice, you even refuse discussing the matter with her and start evoking her departure from the group. Is that how you treat a long-time friend ? By kicking her out when she is experiencing difficulties ?"

The other three remained silent after that.

"Listen, Mammoth…" finally spoke up the leader "…we didn't decide yet if we're gonna keep Jinx in the H.I.V.E. Five, but we have to consider the possibility of her departure, should she still fail us in battles. But even if she leaves, that doesn't mean that we can't remain friends with her."

Silence then fell over the foursome for good, as they walked home through the dark streets of Jump City.

The large mutant was preoccupied.

Where was Jinx ?

How was she ?

What was on her mind ?

And why did she have all those problems lately ?

She had never had problems or hesitations in fights, she always knew what to do and did it efficiently.

And there, all of a sudden, she was behaving totally differently, totally unlike herself.

What was the problem exactly ?

He sighed as they arrived at their headquarters.

There was no light inside, since Gizmo had to turn it on. This meant that Jinx apparently wasn't home.

That, or she was in her room, having switched off all other lights.

"She's not there…" said Numerous, stating the obvious.

"I'll still go check in her room. Perhaps she's already in bed…" Jinx's only real pal informed the rest of the gang.

No one said anything.

He slowly followed the corridor, feeling really bad and sad for his dear friend, and hoping she wasn't devastated.

He came to a halt in front of her door and knocked.

Silence.

He knocked again.

Still no sound.

_Perhaps she's already sound asleep. Or she's weeping in her pillow and doesn't want to reply anything._

"Jinx, it's me. Can I come in ?"

But there still wasn't any reaction from within.

"Jinki, I'm coming in, okay ?"

He opened the door without being answered and walked in.

The room was in the dark so he had to switch on the light.

His eyes went straight for the bed, as she could hardly be elsewhere, given that the room had been in complete darkness up to now.

The bed wasn't occupied.

Yet it wasn't completely empty.

On the pillow was an envelope.

Mammoth walked over and picked it up, turning it in his hand.

No outer writing anywhere.

It wasn't sealed, so he simply lifted the flap and picked the leaf waiting inside.

There were only a few lines written, but they told everything… and made Mammoth's heart start to hurt !

**I KNOW I'VE NOT BEEN MEASURING UP LATELY.**

**YOU CERTAINLY ALL ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED**

**BY MY RECENT FAILURES AND AVOIDANCE.**

**I UNDERSTAND YOUR DISAPPOINTMENT.**

**YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO HATE ME.**

**AND, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I KINDA HATE MYSELF**

**AS WELL, AND FEEL SO ASHAMED…**

**I'VE BEEN PONDERING THINGS A LOT TODAY,**

**TRYING TO TAKE STOCK AND REFLECT ON MY**

**FUTURE.**

**IT WAS EVERYTHING BUT EASY TO DO. BUT I**

**CAME UP WITH A DECISION :**

**I'M LEAVING THE H.I.V.E. FIVE AND WILL SEE**

**WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE FROM NOW**

**ON.**

**SORRY THAT I CAUSED TROUBLE & THAT I'M NO**

**LONGER WORTHY OF THE H.I.V.E. TEACHINGS.**

**GOOD LUCK, BE FINE.**

**J.**

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**And so, just like that, Jinx leaves the H.I.V.E. Five…**

**Mammoth will be despondent for the loss of his dear friend. He certainly didn't expect such a radical reaction from her. Poor of him ! And yeah, he, just like Jinx, is OOC, but I thought that it'd be interesting to have that kind of brute (in the show) become, in my fic', the friendliest of teammates. It's always intriguing to go against the standards and "aim" at the unexpected.**

**And what curious behaviour from Jinx, who chooses to deflect her onslaughts to avoid hitting Raven… Pretty unforeseen an attitude, eh ? What's behind all this ? Oh, I know you know…! And you'll soon have confirmation of that. Well, "soon"… we'll see. ;)**

**So, what will become of Jinx now ? That's the great question. Any idea, anyone ?**

**I hope you enjoy the story so far, and in case you have any suggestions, I'd appreciate you sharing them with me. I can't guarantee I'll follow them, it depends on my opinion on them, but I still may, so don't hesitate.**

**Ah, also, about the structure of this chappy : I wanted a gradation from humor to tragedy, so I decided to start with a funny part, then make it more dramatic, and end up with the saddest part. It really evolves from "sunny skies" to "tempestuous skies", and life is sometimes that cruel… a way to entrench the fiction into reality, although that may sound somewhat paradoxical… ;)**

**So, how 'bout reviewing this chapter ? Each of ya ? I'd be most grateful to ya'll if ya did. Coz nothing is as pleasing, as motivating as reviews. It doesn't have to be long, but please, for God's sake, avoid the banal ones such as "nice chapter", "luv your story", "please update" or "continue". These are not actual reviews (although I admit that they **_**are**_** supportive) : reviews should briefly let the author know WHAT ya liked in the chappy and WHY ya liked it, as already stated in the intro to this chappy. So it requires more than just a few general and common words. And I'll be really happy if ya guys all take the time to let me know how ya felt about this all. :D So, say what ? Review ? =)**

**Be fine !**

**Peace, Love, Ecstasy !**

**))))))))))))))))))) Mellon Collie (((((((((((((((((((**


	4. I care dearly for you

**))) III (((**

**)))) "I care dearly for you" ((((**

**)))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((**

**HEY HEY HEY, Readers!**

**So, another chapter up, and still fans coming in. Cool ! =) This means that I'll be proceeding to the THANXXXX area right away :**

**THANXXXX to ****LionessLycanthropy ****for favoriting the story and to ****AtomicShayx for following it**

**THANXXXX A LOT to BobbyMelvin01 for favoriting ****and**** following the story**

**THANXXXX AN AWESOME LOT to xXSoulDragonXx for favoriting ****and**** favoriting the story ****plus**** following me**

**THANXXXX A TREEEEEMENDOUS LOT to Casador for ticking ****ALL**** the four boxes regarding favoriting and following**

**THANXXXX A SUPER WONDERFUL LOT to Flshgordon003 & ****IcyKixz236**** for reviewing, and a special mention to ****IcyKixz236 for following it as well ****!**

**(And thanxxxx a maxxxx beforehand to ****AtomicShayx, who confirmed me that she would soon review the story as well !)**

**I especially owe ya, ****IcyKixz236**** & Flshgordon003, coz ya were the only ones to answer positively to my review request. I wish others had, coz just 3 reviews for 2 chapters… :'(**

**We'll see if the number of feedbacks goes up wz next chappy… Hopefully ?**

**Oh btw, any Interpol fans outta here ? Interpol, the rock band, not the judicial organism chasing criminals, eh ! XD Okay, lame one, I admit. But more seriously, NYC rock band Interpol will release their 5****th**** LP, EL PINTOR, soon. And after a certain disillusion wz the previous one, I'm hoping for the best regarding this forthcoming one. The first single, ALL THE RAGE BACK HOME, is energetic as can be, love it ! So yeah, Big Up to all Interpol fans round here !**

**Okay, enough blah-blah-blah, time to let ya…**

… **N'JOY !**

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She was staring absent-mindedly through the window, at the bleak atmosphere outside.

The sky was overcast that day, dark grey clouds foretelling an impending downpour. Dark grey, yet actually almost black… which, for some people, was slightly worrying.

But the lonely teen was worried by a totally different matter, and did her best to try and figure out why _it_ had happened. Because _it_ was so unexpected, and apparently made no sense. How could _it_ occur ? Why had _it_, in fact ? _It_ was still a mystery to her…

A light knock on the door.

She gave a slight sigh and walked to the door.

Outside was waiting her closest friend.

"Hey Raven ! Look, as you know, I'm not one to invade your privacy, and rarely ever come knocking, as I know how important is your own space and your meditation moment, but… honestly, I am worried about you. We haven't seen you all day, and you've appeared… pretty distracted since we came back home yesterday. You looked… concerned. And although it's none of my concern, I was wondering if I could maybe-"

His speech ceased right when he saw her risen hand.

She had taken it up, palm facing him, in a unequivocal sign of interruption : she clearly was asking him to stop talking and listen instead.

"You need not apologize or feel embarrassed, Robin. I understand how you feel, and you were right to come here to talk to me. Come in." she said in her usual monotone.

"Thank you" he merely replied.

She walked back to the window and turned towards him.

"You can sit on my bed if you want" she offered.

"No, it's okay. I prefer to remain standing. But thanks for proposing."

There was a short pause, during which she gathered her thoughts while he waited respectfully until she was ready to speak her heart out.

She finally looked him straight in the eye.

"Robin, have you noticed something peculiar about our last missions ?"

He nodded before replying.

"Of course. The battles against the H.I.V.E. Five, which used to be straightforward and as basic as just any fights, have become… hesitant on their side. They aren't acting as homogeneous as before."

She was staring intently at him, the most serious expression on her features.

"Exactly. And could you identify what was the cause of their… hum, disunity ?"

He nodded again.

"Yes. According to me, one of them wasn't acting as natural as usual : Jinx. I mentioned their being hesitant, but in fact, it was _**her**_ who was hesitant. Not her teammates. When she faced you the first time, she seemed… "blocked", as if paralyzed. And the second time, it took her a little while to attack you. And when she did, she missed you three times in a row."

"You summed up the problem perfectly, Robin. Jinx's behaviour lately is way different from her usual one. As if she wasn't herself. I've never seen her that uncertain. She normally fights with self-confidence, and even displays cockiness. What made her change that way ?"

Robin was listening, his chin held between thumb and forefinger in the typical thoughtful attitude.

"Actually… when I saw her hesitate to attack you the second time, I began to wonder if she wasn't… hum, say, impressed by you or suddenly afraid of you. I mean, dithering about battling the same foe twice in a row… it might mean that there is something about that foe that… blocks you. That makes you dread… I don't know what exactly. But it _could_ be fear, couldn't it ?"

It was the sorceress's turn to nod.

"I had quite the same impression. I could clearly feel uncertainty radiate from her. Well, it was at least uncertainty. Difficult to say if it was fear or not. And since we were in the middle of a battle, I didn't have the presence of mind to use my powers to decipher her emotions. But yes, as you said, her hesitation seemed triggered by me… or at least, related to me in a certain way. What I was trying to understand, since we came home, is what made her adopt such an attitude. Why would she hesitate to assault me ?

Robin pondered the possible reasons.

"Mmmmh… It's difficult to figure out. You haven't changed since the previous fights. You're still the same. You don't appear more impressive, or frightening. You look and attack identically. So if there is no modification in you, why would her behaviour to you change at all ?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"That's precisely what I'm wondering about, Robin. Precisely what I'll try to discover. And somehow, I wish I could have the opportunity to have a little talk with Jinx to find out. I would be curious to know the answer…"

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Jinx was lying on the grass, in a corner of Jump City's central park.

Her pink irises were set on the beautiful spring sky, in which cumulus clouds were lazily drifting by, gently shifted by the soft breath of the wind.

The young sorceress's mind was presently "occupied" by two antipodal feelings : one was relief, the other one worry.

She was relieved to have left the H.I.V.E. Five, but at the same time worried about the consequences.

Relieved, because these past weeks she had been experiencing weariness from the same everyday activities. That and she wasn't getting along that good with Gizmo, with whom she was bickering always more and more regularly.

Billy Numerous, when he intervened, tended to support the mastermind against her, and sometimes mocked her, making her resentful against him.

As for See-More, he wasn't interested in her and ignored her most of the time. He wasn't mean to her, but simply acted as if she wasn't worth talking to or was boring.

In fact, the only friend she had ever had in the team was Mammoth. She at first didn't like him and found him brusque, primal, making use of his fists rather than his brain. But one day, they had had a good explanation, each one sharing what he/she had weighing on him/her. And from that day on, they had started respecting each other, always more and more, and had finally ended up as good friends. And even, invaluable present of friendship, as confidants.

Jinx had never had someone that close from her. She was an orphan, after all, and had had only one friend in her life before Mammoth… but that friend had soon been taken away from her, and she had remained alone in life, forced to support others' evil deeds to her.

Mammoth had been like a sunray in her existence, and she was so thankful to Fate for allowing her to have at least one long-time friend.

So, she was globally relieved to have left the team, but she missed "Mamm' ", as she called him.

There was another motive of relief : she no longer HAD to fight the Teen Titans. Sure, she wasn't a good girl, but she surprisingly didn't feel any longer one of the "baddies". She felt as if she was… "neutral", halfway between Good and Evil. And in such a complex position, she could freely decide whether she still wanted to live on robberies and such, or if she wanted to live a normal life and find a job to earn money honestly. So, she wasn't forced to continue fighting the Titans, and that really eased it all.

In fact, to say it more accurately… Jinx no longer had to fight… _her_ !

And oh God, how she would have hated being obliged to battle against _her_ !

No, she didn't want to hurt _her_… not anymore. Never again.

She closed her eyes and sighed, seeing the violet orbs inside her mind. Those… **magnetizing** orbs which seemed to be… calling for her.

That was the "relief" part.

As for worry, there were two mains sources.

One was the absence of Mammoth. She missed him, naturally. He was her only friend. Yet she didn't think she could remain in the group just for his sake : the other three proved too much of a problem to have her agree to do so. She couldn't bear it any longer. So she had had to make up her mind to walk away, and although she hated to leave him, and knew he would be so sad about her departure, she just felt it would be better that way.

The second one was… her impossibility to see _her_ again. Unless she naturally chose to contact _her_ and tell _her_ what she had on her heart.

But could she do that ?

No.

She would be rejected, hated, despised, perhaps even hit if she dared to share what was inside of her mind and heart.

And while such a treatment would be pretty trying from anybody, it would be **particularly** difficult to bear from someone you care dearly for.

_I care dearly for you_.

She had let her inner voice whisper those words to the empath, whose image was now on her mental screen.

Eyes closed, she savored the view, taking in all details of the half-demon, and coming back most of the time to those so attractive violet eyes.

And those thin, grey lips.

_I care dearly for you_.

Yes, she did.

She cared a lot for a girl who used to be her enemy.

She cared a lot for a… girl.

That sounded wrong.

And yet…

…yet…

Jinx let a smile stretch her mouth as she relished the view of the cherished image in her brain, which reflected straight down into her heart.

She felt almost… blissful.

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Raven had tried to read, but had given up after a page. She couldn't focus properly and had found herself reading sentences twice or three times to grasp their full meaning, as if her mind had temporarily ceased processing meaning from the white surface to her brain via her eyes.

She couldn't help wondering.

_Why has she been acting this strange ? This unexpected ? This unlike her ?_

Would she ever find out ?

The only way to do that would be to ask directly the other sorceress, but she couldn't make up her mind to such an action.

The Titan alarm interrupted her train of thoughts.

The Azarathian sank into the floor and emerged immediately in the common room.

Robin was there, waiting.

He looked at her.

"I'll wait for the others to arrive before explaining it all. But tell me, how are you, Raven ?"

She could tell there was concern in his voice, and had she seen her own eyes in a mirror, she knew that they would have given that concern away.

"I'm not bad, but I'm still trying to figure out Jinx's attitude lately. I wish I could ask her. But she probably wouldn't tell me. Yet I'm so troubled by her behaviour that I'm somewhat restless about all this."

"I understand. And I hope you will find an answer somehow."

She nodded, unable to find the will to smile. She was too preoccupied by that strange matter.

Cyborg and Beast Boy came running in, Starfire floating above them.

"We have received an incoming communication !" Robin briefly said before pressing the display button.

On the screen appeared two police officers, standing side by side : superintendent Stewart Moser and lieutenant Victor Heathfield, two major figures from Jump City Police Department. **(A/N : These guys relate to my first sTTory, "8"… see details in the afterword to this chappy !)**

"Greeting, Teen Titans !" exclaimed Moser. "We hope you all are well. Look, we have received a message for you, with a note asking us to show it to you. Here is the message."

He brought his right hand up, in which was a white piece of paper bearing words in upper case. It read :

_**TITANS,**_

_**BE IN JUMP CITY'S CENTRAL PARK, BY THE FOUNTAIN, AT 1 P.M.**_

_**H.I.V.E. FOUR**_

"We ignore what they want from you, but just know we'll be ready to intervene if need be. Just alert us if necessary." explained Heathfield.

"Alright. Thanks for letting us know, and for being ready to help. Goodbye." concluded Robin.

The policemen said goodbye as well, and the Boy Wonder pressed the end button.

"What do they want ?" asked Star.

"And why do they give us an appointment ?" wondered BB.

"You don't ever give an appointment to the good guys if you plan to make a robbery or steal anything, right ?" pertinently pointed out Cy.

Robin was caressing his chin.

"Yes, it's pretty strange. But what is also strange is the name of their team. It was H.I.V.E. Five, now it's apparently H.I.V.E. Four. That means that one of their members has left, and that they are now four. I wonder what happened that caused a split in their group…"

Raven said nothing, but she had her idea about the identity of the leaving member… And this only strengthened her preoccupation about Jinx.

"Alright. It's now 12:30. Let's set out and see what they want. TITANS, GO !"

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The lips of the pink-haired sorceress lightly moved and her eyeballs slightly moved under the eyelids.

Seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes and her pink irises met the blue of the cloudless spring sky.

_Gosh, I felt asleep ? And didn't notice anything ?_

No, she hadn't noticed anything indeed. She was busy thinking about… _her_, and the next minute, Sleep had seized control after sneaking inside the lying body.

And there she was, a tad confused at her falling asleep.

She gradually stretched her arms and covered her mouth as she yawned wide. Apparently, she was more tired than she had thought at first. And her body had decided for herself, in her place : it had suddenly "disconnected" from the real world and sunk into the sweet underworld of dreams…

Jinx forced herself to get up and took a look around.

There were several couples in the park, in this beautiful day. Some were walking hand in hand, some cuddling, some looking lovingly at each other…

The sorceress felt a pain down her throat and almost thought she would cry.

She had nobody else now, no more friends… and she could never tell her beloved that she was infatuated with her. It was a forbidden love. And yet… yet… how she would have liked to be able to freely walk with the one haunting her heart, holding hands with her.

A single tear slowly traced its way down her cheek.

She whipped it, sniffled and started walking.

_Forget it, Jinx. Weeping won't help it. It will only make things worse, more difficult. So what's the use ?_

Still, as she walked, another tear escaped the side of her eye and trickled down.

She whipped it immediately and did her best to dry her eyes. She had to be strong, no matter the sadness, the suffering… the hardships.

The ex-H.I.V.E member slowly walked towards the path she had taken previously, in the reverse direction, keeping her eyes away from all those happy couples that made her sad.

But suddenly, a movement caught her attention near the entrance of the park.

_NO !_

Jinx quickly hurried to hide behind a cluster of bushes growing by the side and glanced worriedly at the group of people now entering the park.

Robin was walking first, followed by Cyborg, then came Beast Boy, on whose heels was Starfire, and last was…

Jinx's eyes immediately stopped on Raven and didn't leave the blue-clad teen. Not for a second.

She saw Raven and her friends walk towards the large fountain set in the middle of the park and stop by it… then look all around them.

The girl with the cat-like eyes stared with curiosity.

_What are they looking for ? There is no crime in the park. I was nearby, and if anything had been happening, I would have hea-_

Her train of thoughts got interrupted as she spotted another group of people walking towards the Teen Titans.

The H.I.V.E. Five.

Or rather, now… the H.I.V.E. **Four**, since she had after all quit.

Her ex-teammates came to a halt opposite the heroes of the city.

Then both groups talked so loud that she could make out what they were saying.

"Why this meeting in the park ?" asked Robin.

"You see, Titans, we have enough of your foiling our robbery plans !" started Gizmo. "You always arrive when we're in good way to escape with the loot. That had lasted too long. So we decided to confront you in a neutral situation, not in a robbery one, where you would interrupt us once again. Moreover, this time, it's us summoning you and not you intervening in our business. We are the ones making the decisions here. And we decided to get rid of you, once and for all !"

"Too much to handle for losers like you, midget !" mocked Beast Boy.

"We'll see who will be the losers later on !" Billy Numerous said threateningly.

"Where is Jinx ?"

The dull voice drew everybody's attention to the empath, who was frowning at the mastermind.

"You care about her, witch ?" asked the bald guy on a despising tone.

The Azarathian clenched her teeth and her frown intensified.

"That's none of your business. I was only asking a question. Answer it." she coldly let out.

The small being smirked and snorted.

"I guess I can condescend to satisfy your curiosity : that will be kind of your last wish before dying. So Jinx no longer is part of the H.I.V.E. Five, which has therefore become the H.I.V.E. Four."

"And why did she leave ?" continued Raven.

He merely shrugged, smirking on.

"She simply realized that she no longer measured up. She failed to kill you twice in a row. But that will be fixed soon. I'll take care of it myself."

Jinx felt a pang of guilt as her ex-leader mentioned her failure to measure up. He was right, all things considered : she was a criminal, or at least had been, as long as she was part of the H.I.V.E., and was thus supposed to fight the good guys. ALL of them. And she had indeed failed to do so on two successive occasions. That was reprehensible, definitely.

"Anyway, we're gonna once more defeat you. Nothing will change. We have won several times, and will keep on doing so !" screamed Cyborg, fist clenched in direction of the baddies.

"Most undoubtedly !" confirmed Starfire.

"That's what we will… see !" concluded See-More.

And the fight began.

Jinx watched intently how things went, focusing almost all of her attention on her fellow sorceress, watching how she fought, hoping she wouldn't get hurt. But Raven did just fine and clearly was in the best of shapes, fight-wise.

The Titans gradually gained advantage, the wrongdoers being taken down one by one.

Soon only Gizmo remained fighting.

But Jinx suddenly goggled when she saw what he was about to do : having gotten rid of Robin, he gathered a large energy ball and, thanks to a new electronic device, teleported…

…right behind Raven !

He was ready to launch his power orb to her, and she hadn't noticed !

The horn-haired girl had only a split second to decide.

But she didn't needed more time to make her decision !

She quickly walked out from the bushes, raised her hands and sent pink waves at her ancient teammate, who had his back to her.

The attack's noise made Gizmo turn around just as he was about to cast his energy ball at Raven.

His eyes widened, both because he saw the incoming onslaught…

…AND because he recognized that characteristic attack, and therefore knew **who** had cast it !

The pink waves hit him with full force and, as he screamed, the energy ball was cast in the wrong direction.

All turned around to see the evil mastermind fall to the ground, and Raven understood that, as he had been behind her, he had planned to get her from the rear… before he had been himself "shot in the back" !

He struggled to get up and meanwhile looked in the direction the attack had come from. But he didn't see his former partner, as Jinx had chosen to retreat behind the bushes, worried that her ex-teammates would see her and understand that she was… **attacking** one of them, and no less than her previous leader !

But she hadn't anticipated the possibility of the attack's noise making Gizmo turn around, see her pink waves and thus identify her as the assailant. And therefore, she hadn't foreseen that she could be unmasked via her onslaught, which wasn't silent enough to strike the mastermind without warning.

"JINX ! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU ? AND WHY THE HELL DID YOU ATTACK ME ?" the runt yelled.

She held her breath, still hidden behind the bushes, feeling that she should NOT come out. She couldn't agree to let them all see her and thus confirm that she was mugging… a once partner in crime !

No one would understand. Neither the H.I.V.E., nor the Titans.

"JINX ! LITTLE BITCH ! I KNOW IT'S YOU ! IT WAS YOUR ATTACK ! SHOW YOUR UGLY FACE !" the small criminal went on in an insulting way.

_Don't show yourself… don't show yourself…_, she kept repeating to herself.

A ring of dark matter closed around the arms of the last wrongdoer.

"HEY ! FREE ME, YOU LITTLE -"

"Silence !" Rae shouted on a threatening tone, her eyes glowing white. "Stop insulting people, or I swear I'll put a magical gag over your mouth !"

He glared at her but finally decided to remain silent, dreading said gag.

The empath's eyes scanned the area, in search of the other sorceress, but there was much vegetation in the park, and Jinx could be hiding just anywhere.

She was about to focus her magical senses when she heard Robin speak.

"Alright, Team ! Bravo for the excellent work ! We finally caught the H.I.V.E. Time to bring them behind bars ! Let's go !"

The four criminals were put together, Titans gathered around them. The baddies got wrapped in black energy, which lifted them off the ground and would later force them to follow the heroes, against their own will.

Cyborg lead the way, followed by Beast Boy, then Starfire.

As for Robin, he turned to look at Raven, who was staring intently at the exact group of bushes where Jinx was.

The pink-haired sorceress had found a hole, on the other side of the bushes, and was peering through it. Nobody could see her… but the magical senses of the violet-haired sorceress could locate, far better than her eyes, a hidden one, and it currently let her know that the cat-eyed girl was right behind those bushes.

"Raven ?"

The addressee turned around, her calm look settling on the Boy Wonder.

"A problem ?"

She shook her head.

"You're wondering, like me, why Jinx helped us, don't you ?"

This time, she nodded.

And turned her head back to the bushes one more time, watching exactly where Jinx was.

The latter swallowed her saliva.

_She can see me ? But how…?_

Finally, the half-demon turned back to Robin and followed him.

But before leaving the area, she turned her head one more time, while floating away, and her violet orbs once again stopped right on the bush behind which Jinx was…

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**And thus, Jinx once again avoids Raven to get hurt. For the third time in a row.**

**But Raven has understood that Jinx has saved her, after refusing twice to attack her, thus sparing her three times in a row.**

**And Raven will be pondering this a lot…**

**What will happen next ?**

**What will Raven do ?**

**And what will Jinx do ?**

**When and how will the truth come out ?**

**That's for you to read and find out later on ! =D**

**Hope ya liked this chappy. IF you did, please DO let me know via a review. I L-O-V-E it when people take the time to give feedback. And besides, does it take that long to write a few words to express what ya like about the story ya read ? No, right ? So PLEASE… REVIEW ! ** ****puppy dog eyes ****

**I hesitated about the way Jinx should behave after attacking Gizmo and hearing him demand her to show herself : should she actually decide to come out and confront him, or should she rather stay hidden, for fear of what may happen if she stepped out ? I went for the second option, because I felt Jinx as pretty confused and worried, despite her daring to assault Gizmo, and her choice to remain hidden would reflect that confusion / worry, and show her fragility. Yeah, I know that, to some of ya, Jinx is not a fragile character, but I'm known for making my characters act OOC, because I deem it interesting to explore new "roads" and not strictly stick to well-known behaviours, canon behaviours if ya want. Deal wz it. ;)**

**Also, OC's Stewart Moser and Victor Heathfield, the two policemen, are characters returning from my previous TT story, "8". Just as Dr. Valentin Fauchelieu, in "8", was a character already present in a MBC story of mine, RED PRISON. See, I like the idea of "comeback elements" between fictions, those lil' winks to previous stories. Additionally to the fun side of it, it also helps weave the web of unity and homogeneity throughout one's work.**

**One last thing : my kind thoughts to Robin Williams's family. That man used to be my fav' actor, when I was a teenager, and I honestly was delighted by his films. I saw pretty much all of them at some point, or at least almost all of them, and loved them ! We will miss you all, Robin ! May your soul bathe in eternal bliss !**

**Alright, time to sign out… for now !**

**Hope there'll be more people reviewing, this time… Please, guys, give me some feedbacks ! ******puppy dog eyes**** again****

**Right, let's wrap this up !**

**Till soon, FFriends !**

**Peace, Love, Ecstasy !**

**))))))))))))))))))))) The Giant Hogweed (((((((((((((((((((((**


	5. Face to face

**)))) IV ((((**

**)))) FaCe To FaCe ((((**

**)))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((**

**Yo, People !**

**First thing first, let's start with… gratitude : **

*** gratitude to ROLF-Wolf-Of-Thunder for following my fic' !**

***** MORE gratitude to coldplayfan12 for following AND favoriting it !**

******* EVEN MORE gratitude to IcyKixz236, AtomicShayx & Crzyratlady for doing what I wanted the most : REVIEW ! Thanxxxx to no end to ya both for giving me feedbacks, and pretty positive ones ! You really made my day ! (…but jeez, are yr pennames damn difficult to write… ! XD) And your reviews are quite interesting ! :D**

**So, as you can tell from the title of this chappy, things are gonna get serious. It's time for a part wz less action and more talk.**

**I hope you're gonna like this one as well. **

**One word : N'JOY !**

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She had tried hard, and thought she could succeed at it as usual, yet…no.

It used to be so simple… well, maybe 'simple' wasn't the right word. More like some kind of elemental habit which in fact didn't exactly went by itself, but that still didn't require that much effort, because she had learned to master it.

Anyway, the fact was there : Raven had trouble meditating.

She usually sat in lotus position, then floated up and levitated there, making the void into her head and focusing on her magical spirit, the three words of her mantra echoing again and again and again in the place where she was, be it her room, the roof or a corner of the common room.

She had barely ever had hindrances to meditation.

And now, all of a sudden…

But she naturally knew the reason of the problem, the root of her unease.

_Why did she do that ? Why hesitate twice to attack me, then miss me three times in a row… and finally saving me from one of her ex-teammates' attack ? They may think she's betraying them, and then… things will worsen for her !_

And curiously, Raven didn't like the thought of things getting worse for Jinx ! The pink-haired sorceress used to be her enemy, she used to fight her, one was a villain while the other an heroine…

…and yet, as strange as it may sound, Raven couldn't help being somewhat concerned about Jinx ! Concerned about what may happen to her if the others, feeling betrayal, turned against her…

The half-demon gave up her umpteenth unsuccessful meditation attempt and left her room.

A couple of minutes later, she was walking onto the common room and heading straight to the kitchen.

"Oh Friend Raven, there is of you at last ! I was beginning to worry about you !" said the joyful voice of the happy-go-lucky alien.

That was all that was needed to draw everyone's attention on Raven.

The cloaked girl stopped on her way to the kitchen and gave a brief smile in direction of her Tamaranean friend.

"Dude, what were you doing all morning in your room ? Coz that's where you were, in your room, as usual ?" the green changeling uttered somewhat reproachfully.

The smile vanished from the thin grey lips.

"I have my own things to deal with, and sometimes it takes more time than usual, that's all !" she almost snapped at her shapeshifting teammate.

"Hey, BB, leave Rae alone, will ya ? She clearly has some concerns to take care of, so the last things she needs is someone to lash out at her" the half-robotic teenager scolded his gaming partner.

Raven smiled again, to Cy this time.

"Thanks." she calmly said, before proceeding into the kitchen, where the Boy Wonder was already sitting, sipping a cup of tea. He also had got used to tea lately, after deciding he drank too much coffee and should therefore quit it to turn to its rival drink : tea.

The masked boy greeted his grey-skinned friend yet didn't add anything yet, merely observing her as she filled the kettle, put it on the stove and fetched her cup, in which she soon was dropping a special blend made of several herbal teas.

Once the cup was steaming and the Goth had taken it by its handle, Robin made his move.

"I can tell you've been having a tough time lately. You appear always more preoccupied. I don't want to interfere in your personal stuff, but at the same time, I'm concerned about you."

She gave an almost imperceptible sigh before sitting on another chair, close to him, so that they could discuss serious matters in private. Not that she mistrusted the others, but there were some… "delicate" topics she preferred to keep to herself, or at most share with only one other teammate. And the present topic was one of these.

"Thank you for your concern. I appreciate. It's one of the noblest manifestations of friendship, and I'm touched by this. To satisfy your curiosity, I'm still preoccupied about Jinx. Her behaviour has changed so radically during the last encounters with the H.I.V.E. Five… and then the H.I.V.E. Four. Why did she spare me ? And then…saved me ?"

It was the leader's turn to sigh.

"I've been giving it a good thought, and seriously… I can't decipher this riddle. I don't think it's a trap : why would an enemy spare a hero three times in a row ? An enemy kills the hero, not saves him. It's a complete mystery. Maybe even her friends didn't get an answer from her, who knows ? The only one knowing it for sure is her."

Raven sipped her tea while listening to her closest friend.

"Yes, of course. She is the one holding the key to this mystery. So the only solution would be to somehow force her to talk…" pertinently remarked the Azarathian.

The Caped Titan nodded. **(A/N : That's Robin, as Raven is the "Cloaked Titan")**

"Definitely. But how to do that ?"

There was a long silence, during which Rae quietly sipped the hot liquid, her mind on the last thing her leader had uttered.

Force Jinx to talk… _how to do that_ ?

Well, it wasn't that long to resolve : only one thing could be done, and it was finding the cat-eyed teen and ask her what the matter with her was.

And what if she didn't want to explain…?

_It will always be time to see what I can do about it. I don't want to force her, though…_

Rae had made up her mind on what to do next. And Robin saw her unexpectedly swallow her tea in larger gulps, and faster, as if she suddenly was in some hurry. But even like that, she found that it took too much time while she was impatient to leave.

She briskly rose from her chair, brought the cup to the sink and emptied the remaining half of tea in it, before swiftly washing the cup and laying it aside.

Robin raised a brow. He had never seen Raven shorten her tea time. She had to be in some hurry to do so.

"Well, to answer your last question… I can still try ! See you later !"

And before the masked teenager could react to that, the violet-haired sorceress disappeared in a swirl of black…

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The grey-skinned girl stifled a yawn as she aimlessly meandered about in the concrete veins of this large urban organism that Jump City was.

She had had a pretty bad night, barely managing to gather enough slumber to avoid calling it a sleepless night. And hell, was it a torture to be somnolent yet NOT succeeding in falling asleep !

And the reason of her sleep trouble naturally originated in…

_Raven… Raven, where are you ? Where are these gorgeous eyes of yours ? Where is your beautiful violet hair ? Where is your tempting grey skin ? Where is your slender body ? _

Jinx suddenly stood up straight and came to a halt.

She had mentioned Raven's slender body. Her grey skin. Her violet hair. And she now also recalled that she dressed in dark clothes.

Didn't these elements sound familiar ?

And suddenly, it dawned on her that the Goth was a sorceress too. And a half-demon as well.

The girl with the vertical pupils swallowed her saliva, remaining motionless in the street, her look focused somewhere in the vague in front of her, while some of the passers-by cast her a curious look.

_Oh jeez, how couldn't I see it before ? Raven and I share many similarities. We both are half-demons, both have magical powers, both grey skin, thin bodies, dark clothes. As for our hair colours, they are not identical, but still are slightly similar : isn't violet the darker version of pink, after all ? Oh gosh, we really have a lot in common. Maybe she also like creepy cafés and anything related to goth universe ? Damn, we are so close, all things considered…_

But there was at least one major difference, which created a gap between the two : Raven was a righter of wrongs, fighting for justice and collaborating with the police… while herself, Jinx, was exactly the opposite ! A wrongs' creator, fighting _against_ police and trying to _avoid _justice ! The Titan was the good girl, whereas the former H.I.V.E. student was the bad one.

Jinx resumed walking, her face "dropping" out of demoralization. What fool she had been to hope that there was even the slightest chance for her to approach Raven and possibly…! No way ! Only in her dreams !

Yet she couldn't forget the beautiful face of the Azarathian. She could **never** !

The hot liquid overflowed from her eyes and started slowly tracing its way down her cheeks while she swiftly inhaled and exhaled in turns through her nose, her mouth beginning to shake.

The pink-haired one quickly wiped the twin hot streams off her cheeks, sniffing loud and trying hard to control her mouth's quiver.

_Come on, Jinx, you're a big girl, now ! You're not gonna cry, are you ? It's children who cry, not teenagers ! Behave yourself, girl !_

But even after scolding herself mentally, her eyes gave in and got wet again, enabling more tears to find their way down to her jaw. She cursed herself as she vehemently dried her face by rubbing her sleeves on her cheeks and eyes.

Jinx then turned right and, after walking silently for a couple of minutes, lost in (sad) thoughts, she raised her head back up… and her eyes caught the sign of a certain public establishment selling hot drinks.

She stopped and blinked, reading the name of the place.

An hesitation… then a decision.

_Well, why not, after all ? I badly need something hot to drink. To drown my sadness into._

And sighing, she slowly made her way inside, her shoulders still somewhat slumped.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

After appearing in the central park of Jump City, Raven had searched it back and forth, her magical senses focused so that she could without fail perceive Jinx's personal vibes, wherever she would be hiding in the immediate surroundings.

Because an intuition of hers made her believe that the other sorceress may have been staying in that park quite recently. **(A/N : And in fact, dear readers, it turns out that Jinx had left from the park not that long ago, before "wandering aimlessly" in the streets and finally entering the hot drinks establishment… therefore did Raven and Jinx just miss each other in the park ! Ah, Fate's irony…)**

But as she progressed in her seeking, she felt always more acutely the inescapable outcome : the impossibility to find Jinx in the park. That negative sensation grew stronger and stronger as the cloaked fighter's quest neared its end.

And it was without any shock, surprise or bewilderment that Rae came to a halt near the entrance she had walked in from, days earlier, short before "feeling" Jinx for the last time.

_She's not here. Where could she be ? Where would she go ?_

In fact, she couldn't guess.

First because she, after all, didn't know Jinx, and therefore ignored what kind of places she had a fondness for. And thus was clueless about those locations she would have been possibly found in.

And second, because the other grey-skinned girl maybe wasn't in her habitual mental state, in her "normal mood", after her exclusion from the H.I.V.E. Five, and a distraught person certainly can go to other places than those he/she usually patronizes.

The empath sighed, her eyes turning to various directions, clearly wondering where to head to next.

She just couldn't make up her mind and therefore exited the park and started walking in a random direction, lost in thought.

_I have to find her. Her behaviour in respect to me is really puzzling. Why would she spare me, her enemy ? What could have made her change her attitude to me ? To the point she would even go as far as attacking a former teammate ? As if she had tried to protect me… for, as foolish as it may sound, that's what I feel : that she tried to avoid my being hurt._

Her sixth sense hinted to her being right about Jinx trying to spare her. But the whole question was about the reason that would incite her to act that way.

After a while of pondering on that mysterious reason, Rae raised her head and suddenly became aware of her surroundings. **(A/N : This echoes to Jinx raising her head and spotting the sign of the establishment, earlier… and this similitude is here to strengthen the slow evolution towards the two girls' coming together)**

She wasn't far from a nice tea room she knew.

Part of her wanted to continue searching Jinx inside the concrete labyrinth, yet another part of her felt somewhat tired, after a short night's sleep, and a mug of herbal tea would have been welcome.

The Dark Titan eventually made up her mind about a brief break, knowing she would soon resume her quest, determined to find Jinx one way or another.

Minutes later, she was pushing the door and taking her place in the queue, composed of only three persons.

There actually weren't that many people in the tea room, and she appreciated that fact. Crammed places ? Not for the half-demons. They really cared for their independence, their vital space, and this implied solitude. Even if the latter was mistakenly assimilated to being antisocial, a neighbouring yet different way of life.

Her smoking mug in hand, she calmly walked to a free box – for this tea room has the spatial peculiarity to be partly constituted of wooden compartment called 'boxes', in which couples or friends found some intimacy and closeness – and sat down.

Her mind immediately "got to work", trying to figure out in what kind of place Jinx could be right now.

She quietly sipped her tea as she narrowed her eyes, deeply absorbed in her thoughts.

But she couldn't imagine what shops or public buildings the other female Goth wizard was fond of.

_And what if she tried to start a solo criminal career ? What if she hadn't given it up ?_

Yet she soon discarded the idea. After all, she hadn't heard of Jinx in days, so it meant she most likely hadn't been involved in any illegal activity.

Besides, something in her told her that her fellow sorceress had turned her back on Evil. She couldn't exactly understand what made her think that, yet… yet she just _**felt**_ it !

She suddenly decided to focus her magical senses again, just to see if there was any slight signal informing her that her "target" was nearby.

A great wave of energy flooded her mind. JINX's energy.

Rae's eyes widened and she partly opened her mouth, out of surprise.

The intensity of the signal was such that Jinx had to be extremely close to her.

In fact, it could even be that…

The Azarathian briskly turned her head to the right and started intently watching the other tables.

When she was done, she rose from her seat and narrowed her eyes, looking to the front.

One step forward…

Two steps…

Three…

She stopped and her eyes widened again.

There, short before her… at the top of the wooden wall of a box…pink hair !

More precisely, two pink strands, one on the left, one on the right… as if the hair was horn-shaped, and these were the extremities of the horn.

Raven gulped.

_GOSH ! I FOUND HER !_

She took three more steps, and sure enough, that was Jinx : she could make out the haircut better, as she was really close to her now.

Her fellow sorceress was bent forward, almost slumped over her cup of tea.

That didn't look too good.

She wasn't in her normal state.

The empath hesitated.

Should she carry her action until its conclusion, and sit opposite Jinx, or should she retreat back in her seat and wait until the former criminal left, and intercept her then ?

The usually determined teen was for once indecisive as to the best option, but Destiny chose for her.

Someone started to scream, behind, at the cash counter, and since this lasted for seconds and seconds, Raven quickly turned to have a look.

One of the clients was apparently telling the cashier off, and the latter was trying to explain himself with plenty of frantic gestures.

The Dark Titan turned her head back to the front…

…only to find Jinx, intrigued as well by the shouts, poking her head out of the box to look in direction of the cash counter, and therefore in **her** own direction !

The pink and violet gazes met, and the horn-haired girl goggled.

"Ra-… Raven ?!"

The half-demon had been taken by surprise, as she hadn't expect the cat-eyed girl to turn around and look in her direction.

She hesitated for two seconds, then decided it was useless try to avoid the face-to-face. Therefore, she hid her slight confusion and walked to the other sorceress, quietly sitting across from her.

"Good morning, Jinx !" said Raven, in her signature monotone, but her voice was a tad warmer than usual…

"Good morning, Raven…" replied Jinx, and it was obvious that she was nervous. Additionally to the unsure tone, her eyes seemed to have great difficulty to meet the Titan's.

"You were precisely the person I was looking for…" calmly explained the heroine.

"Am… am I ?" stuttered the former villain.

"You are." concluded the Goth.

An awkward silence settled between the two.

Raven was looking patiently at Jinx, who, noticing that the half-demon was staring at her, gazed at her hands, wondering what to say… and how to say it !

Finally, someone spoke up.

"Do I make you uncomfortable ?"

The head of the bad luck teen shot up, her eyes widened as she goggled to the Azarathian. She looked almost… afraid.

"N-…No… No, you don't ! I swear you don't !"

"But you don't say anything and merely look down at your hands. You seem… uneasy, somehow. As if I impressed you or scared you."

Jinx was breathing fast now, her pink irises locked with the violet ones.

"No, Raven ! I'm not scared of you. It's simply that I… I didn't expect to meet you here and… I don't know exactly what to say…"

"Don't you want to know _why_ I was looking for you ?" asked Rae.

"Sure…" hesitantly replied her interlocutor.

Raven took a deep breath.

"You've been acting weird, lately. In your team. Well, in your _former_ team, since you left. I would like to know why you did, by the way, but we will deal with that point later. For now, I'll just explain what interests me the most. You've therefore been behaving in an extremely unusual manner… especially regarding myself ! You have been curiously wavering when facing me, twice in a row, and the second time , you did cast attacks in my direction, but failed to hit me… three times ! And I know that you're not that bad an attacker that you would miss me three successive times. I therefore thought that you may have slightly diverted your pink waves to **avoid** hitting me. And the lest time, while we were in the park fighting your teammates, you cast on onslaught that reached Gizmo, just when he was about to attack me from behind ! That way, you saved my life, or you at least prevented me from being hurt. So there have been already three occasions on which you either hesitated to fight me, or missed me on purpose, or even protected me. That's absolutely not like you. So I want to know why you act that way. And also why you left the H.I.V.E. team, which I think to be related to your sparing me. I'm listening to you, Jinx."

This being concluded, Raven lifted her mug, sipped a bit of her tea, her violet eyes never leaving the pink ones opposite, not for one second.

Jinx shifted her feet uneasily under the table, her hands fiddling with each other nervously.

She had looked at her fellow sorceress a few times, enjoying the sight but not making it last as she felt so awkward.

She finally made up her mind, knowing there was no way she could possibly avoid to explain herself.

"I left the team because… I didn't felt like being a bad girl anymore. I'm tired of the villain part, I can't stand it anymore. I don't want to fight you guys anymore…"

She suddenly stopped, realizing what she had said.

She had stated that she didn't want to fight the Titans anymore, and that wasn't wrong… but truth is, it was RAVEN that she actually didn't want to have to fight anymore ! And she now realized that she had almost let the cat out of the bag and confessed that she refused to fight her, Raven, any longer ! And if she had said that, she would have been in an even more delicate position than the one she was in right now. **(A/N : just discovered that expression, 'to let the cat out of the bag', a synonym to 'spill the beans'… and I thought that, given that Jinx has cat-like pupils, it would be fun to use the 'cat' saying for her ! XD)**

"A problem ?" asked the empath, her eyes imperceptibly narrowing.

"No… no, no… I'm okay…" slowly replied the bad luck girl.

"So you left the team because of your being tired of committing crimes and fighting the Titans ?"

_Fighting YOU, Raven ! YOU ! I don't want to fight YOU ever again in my entire existence…_

"Yeah, that's it !" quickly answered Jinx, stifling her thought, as she looked down at her mug, feeling really uneasy.

Raven's eyes narrowed some more.

"It doesn't have anything to do with me ?"

Jinx felt a heat wave hit her face.

"No !" she immediately blurted out, halfway between talking and screaming. She realized she had reacted with great emotion, raising her voice all of a sudden. And that could give her true feelings away. So she swiftly tried to regain composure and went on in a tone she hoped quieter : "I mean, no. It's… not related to you."

The horned sorceress tried to held the Azarathian's gaze, but failed and went back to staring at her hands and her mug.

"Are you sure ?" slowly questioned Raven, her stare more insisting than ever.

Jinx raised her head again and swallowed as she was forced to confront to that perspicacious stare that seemed to be trying to bore straight into her heart, straight into her feelings.

_Those eyes… so impressive… yet so gorgeous… Raven…_

"Well, yeah… of course I am !"

She had tried to reply with self-confidence, to sound convincing, but she wasn't sure she had succeeded… or that her interlocutor had bought it !

There was another silence, with Rae staring at Jinx and Jinx avoiding Rae's look as much as she could, only eyeing her from time to time, and sipping at her tea to distract herself from the piercing gaze opposite.

"Okay…" finally uttered the empath.

But no more words followed.

Raven knew that Jinx didn't tell her everything, and that there was something related to her that remained hidden below the emotional surface. But while she really wanted to know what it was, she still didn't want to use her empathic powers to probe Jinx's mind and heart and find out that way what the girl felt. She avoided doing that as much as she could, as it meant invading one's privacy… and she just hated the thought of it ! She would have "read" one's emotions only if she had been forced to, like for a vital situation, as e.g. in a particularly difficult fight : she could have probed the villain's mind to guess what his/her intentions were. But, again, only if she had no other choice.

"So you told me about the reason of your departure from the H.I.V.E. team. You thus answered one of my questions. But I'm more interested in the answer to my other one : what made you act the way you did with me ? Why hesitate to attack me, then spare me, and finally save me ? It looks as if you wanted to avoid harming me, or someone else to harm me. This intrigues me, and I would like you to be honest with me and tell me… everything !"

She stressed the word, her gaze still as insisting as she said that, which made Jinx gulp and quickly lick her lips. The poor girl then swallowed her saliva, her throat having become all dry as the conversation "unraveled".

The former criminal hung her head and bit her lip. She knew she was behaving mostly insecure and as far as could be from self-confident, but somehow she just couldn't help it. The once "evil witch" had lost all the past cockiness, and just was astonished at how easily that girl with the violet hair and eyes could unsettle her… trouble her… move her…

_What can I tell her ? How can I justify such a behaviour ?_

And then, suddenly, she had an idea.

Why not exploit the reason she had given for her departure from the gang ?

She had no clue whether that would suffice to convince her vis-à-vis, but at the moment, she had no better strategy than that one…

"It's just… I… As I said, I no longer wanted to fight you Titans, so I naturally wouldn't hurt you. That's why I didn't want to fight you at first, and why I diverted my attacks. It's because I refused to attack Titans anymore."

That didn't sound too bad an excuse. Now, would the clever (_...and beautiful…_) teenager sitting across believe that ?

"Alright." said Raven, after long seconds of reflection. "But why did you stare that long at me the first time, and the second as well ?"

_Damn ! She finds each time the small crack in my arguments… You are so intelligent, Raven… I don't deserve you !_

"It was because… because I was wondering how you would react if I didn't attack you, like I had planned not to. I was asking myself how you would react to my change in attitude."

Again, rather convincing.

The girl with the vertical pupils had never sweated that much in her whole existence. Never felt that uncomfortable, that hesitant… but, at the same time, that mesmerized by her interlocutor !

"Makes sense indeed…" dropped the Goth after a while. "I've got only one question left for you : why did you save me from Gizmo's onslaught, the last time, in the park ? You may have decided to stop fighting us, but YOU were not involved this time. It was only your teammates and us. So why did you intervene and saved me ?"

_Gosh ! She cornered me !_

That was the unexpected question. Jinx thought that Raven would stop her demands after her last answer… but then, there she hooked her with her ultimate one !

The pink-eyed teen licked her lips again and gulped.

And finally spoke up.

"In fact, I… I didn't want the others to hurt you neither. In fact, I didn't want my former teammates to hurt _any_ of you Titans. So I decided to intervene in your favour."

"Okay, but why didn't you intervene earlier, when my friends were battling the others and being hurt by them, since you wanted **all** Titans to avoid being harmed ?"

_Oh man, I can't take this much longer on ! She's too cunning for me ! I really care for you, Raven, but right now… you're __**torturing**__ me !_

Jinx's body temperature was higher than on any other occasion, and her forehand was covered with a thin wet and shiny layer, while her hands were all clammy, and in her stomach, the butterflies wouldn't give her any rest !

"I… I had just arrived at that moment, when Gizmo appeared behind you, so I couldn't protect the others, only you…"

Raven nodded.

"So, your behaviour on all those occasions had nothing to do with me in particular ? Nothing **at all** ?"

She stressed the last two words.

Her violet orbs didn't leave the pink ones that so often avoided hers, her piercing gaze an expression of her determination to get the truth from the former bad girl.

"No, no…not at all !" Jinx hurriedly replied.

A few seconds of silence… and Raven leaned forward.

Jinx's eyes widened as she saw that beautiful face, which now haunted her thoughts and daydreams, come closer to her own and stop halfway, the violet irises lost in her pink ones.

The horned sorceress gulped harder.

It could have appeared as if the Dark Titan was getting closer to…

… **kiss** her !

Jinx had to resist the will to lean forward as well and approach her mouth from Raven's. It was so damn tempting to steal a kiss from those thin grey lips… but that would mean signing her own death warrant !

The Azarathian's eyes were narrowed and she was slightly frowning, her expression not a sweet of soft one, but a dead serious if not somewhat severe one.

"Can I trust you, Jinx ?"

The wearer of the bad luck charm felt her heat level about to explode. Her face was so hot now… and her forehead so sweaty, as were her hands !

_Oh crap… I'm gonna faint… her pretty face is just inches from mine, and she asks me if she can trust me… oh please, someone or something come rescue me NOW !_

The half-demon was waiting patiently, her face showing no sign of emotion. She wanted an answer, and one that could satisfy her and prove her that she, Jinx, was honest… while she had done nothing but lie to Raven, to hide her true feelings !

"Raven…" weakly started Jinx.

That's when the T-communicator rang.

The Dark Titan turned her head towards her left side, where the device hung at her belt, and after a few seconds, turned her head back at the former criminal.

"Don't… don't you have to answer it ?" nervously asked Jinx.

"I do, but my question can be quickly replied to, and if you do now, I can then take the incoming communication…"

"Raven… listen, I know I sound hesitant, but why would you doubt ? Isn't what I said logical ?"

"Oh, it is ! But I want you to ensure me, eye to eye, that I can trust you. That you didn't lie to me. I want you to certify it, looking me square in the eyes. So ?"

Jinx hung her head and her eyelids closed.

She loved being with the girl who occupied most of her thoughts lately, but the way things were turning… it was just unbearable !

Raven sighed and grabbed the communicator.

"Raven, trouble downtown, near 4th Avenue, at Chisum Bank. Meet you there in 5 minutes." said the rushed voice of the Boy Wonder.

"Alright. I'm on my way. Over."

She ended up the communication and turned her attention back to her vis-à-vis, who looked at her in an almost pleading way.

_Jinx, Jinx… I can tell you're hiding a lot from me. A lot. Too bad, because it's the first time I appreciate the company of a criminal…well, a __**former**__ criminal, as it seems… I wish you opened your heart to me and trusted me, so I can trust you back… but you have to decide by yourself…_

Raven sighed, then emptied the rest of her tea mug and set it back down on the table.

"Jinx, I have to go now. I can see you're very uneasy, and don't feel like telling me the truth. I just know it. Your refusal to answer my last question is enough of a proof. So, basically, I can't force you : it's your own life and feelings, after all… I wish you a good day."

"NO, PLEASE, FORGIVE ME !" screamed the bad luck teen, as she extended to… grab Raven's hand, near her mug !

The Goth lowered her eyes to the table, looked at the grey hand over her own grey one, then stared up at Jinx.

But she did not move her hand away.

Yet it was the ancient H.I.V.E. student who, noticing Raven's gaze, mistook it for one of disapproval and, feeling her face heat up, let go of the Titan's hand, with a confused grimace.

"I'm… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… I'm sorry."

Raven nodded.

"It's okay. But what should I forgive you for, according to you ?"

She already knew the answer to that question, but wanted her fellow sorceress to tell it herself.

"Raven, today, I just can't… perhaps we can… meet another day and discuss it again ? Maybe I'll feel better then… and be honest to you… **really** honest ! If it's okay with you, and if you agree to see of me again, that is…"

The corner of Rae's mouth slightly rose, as she briefly smiled. Which she had never done in Jinx's presence.

"Of course I agree to meet you again ! It's not because you feel uneasy or insecure that I will reject you ! After all, from what you said, I drew the conclusion that you had turned your back on crime. Hence your leaving your gang. So if you decide to follow the right path and become good, why would I refuse to talk to you ?"

Jinx felt tears come to her yes, and swiftly wiped them off.

Raven noticed, but didn't say anything about it, although this only strengthened the radical change of behaviour of the once Brother Blood student.

"If you've finished your tea, follow me outside !" ordered the heroine.

The once "evil witch" nodded and a small smile finally formed on her lips… something she thought not possible, given the preceding tension of the situation !

Once they were outside, the cloaked teen turned to the one with platform boots.

"Let's see… can you tell me where you are staying ? I mean, where you sleep at night ?"

"In the central park. Under the small bridge. There is little space, but just enough to lie there and sleep. Or at least, try to."

Raven had never felt sorry for a person she used to battle, but for once, she did. Just imagining Jinx, stuffed in a tight place, on the dirt, trying hard to find sleep… and perhaps failing at it… there was something miserable, something sinister about it. And so, Raven _did_ feel sorry for Jinx, for the conditions she now lived in.

"I'll meet you by the bridge tomorrow morning, and we'll sort it all out, alright ?" proposed the Goth.

The mere perspective of spending more time with the one she was infatuated with made Jinx suddenly happy again. Last hour had been tough, but now, things were better, way better, and she just couldn't wait to meet the cloaked Titan again !

"Yes, of course. I'll be happy to see you again, Raven !"

Jinx suddenly hesitated, wondering if it was appropriate to be _happy_ seeing Raven, as this was only their first real discussion, and thus those words might give away her feelings for her.

But the cloaked teen merely gave a brief smile and said : "Same here."

Then she put her hood back over her head and gave a last look at the horn-haired sorceress now staring incessantly at her… after avoiding her gaze so often, short ago !

"Oh, and thank you for renouncing criminality ! This is very courageous and reasonable of you ! Few criminals do, and I admire you for daring to do so ! Take care of yourself, Jinx ! Bye !"

Rae's words really moved Jinx, who felt an unknown pleasure and pride seize her.

_She… she… admires me ? Oh damn… I can't believe it ! She admires me…!_

"Thank you as well, for listening to me, Raven ! I hope our talk will go better tomorrow ! I promise I'll make an effort of sincerity !"

The empath nodded.

"I hope so. See you tomorrow !"

"Yes, see you tomorrow, Raven !"

Jinx never got tired of repeating that name… that name that now had become so dear to her heart !

The half-demon took off, but cast a quick look down to her fellow sorceress, before disappearing to the left, behind the buildings.

Jinx's gaze remained set on the point where the Dark Titan had vanished.

"See you tomorrow, Raven…" she repeated slowly, as if hypnotized by those words… and what they implied !

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**Ouf !**

**That was long, wasn't it ?**

**I wanted to make the two meet by chance, and have them have a serious talk, with Raven insisting to have answers, and Jinx not daring to reply honestly… out of dread about Raven's potential reaction if she knew how the former criminal feels about her ! And of course, like every liar who fears to be unmasked, Jinx feels most uncomfortable… but the chappy ends up for her far better than it had begun !**

**I'm rather pleased with this one here. I wanted to show how emotions work between two girls with different natures, to unveil the 'inner life' of the characters. AtomicShayx said that I was "really good at writing what the characters are feeling and thinking". Well, I hope she/he liked this new chappy here, which contains much more emotions. I like it when characters display what they have inside of their heart and mind : their feelings and emotions, and thoughts as well. It's always interesting to see how they function, deep within.**

**I also wanted Raven's behaviour evolve from neutral to somewhat sympathetic. That change was triggered by her being kinda touched by Jinx's weakness and embarrassment, and this despite the pink-eyed "witch" lying to her. The heroine gave the reformed baddie a chance to explain herself honestly. But will it go well, or will the repentant criminal make things worse by lying on, although she promised to be sincere ?**

**That's for you to find in next chap' !**

**So, hope ya liked this long part… and if so, please do NOT hesitate to let me know by writing something in that box below… ;) I'm receiving pretty interesting reviews lately, and I'm pleased to see people finally willing to give feedbacks, and hope they'll continue. I just would have hoped for those who favorited this fic' to also write a lil' something…coz, after all, if they included this story in their fav's, they obviously have reasons that make them like it… reasons that would be welcomed explained in a review ! Just saying, eh… (hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink)**

**Alright, see you later ! Be all fine, and thanxxxx for everything… especially reviews ! :D**

**(One last thing : I managed to update every week, but each time I did, I already had next chapter in the works. Yet, this time, I didn't even start chap. 5, so… I'm pretty sure that next update will take more time. Maybe 2 weeks, hopefully not much more ! But it certainly won't be for next week, as usual… sorry for that ! And thanxxxx a lot for your patience and fidelity, as well as good luck for your own fic's ! =D)**

**Peace, Love, Ecstasy !**

**)))))))))))))))))))))))) Universaller ((((((((((((((((((((((**


	6. Waiting, dreading, hoping & beaming !

**)))) V ((((**

**)))) WaItInG, DrEaDiNg, HoPiNg… AnD bEaMiNg ! ((((**

**))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((**

**Hey Folks !**

**Reviews still in "slowmo", as it seems. That's a pity, really. But at least, I'm still VERY satisfied as I see always more and more folks following this story (not that many favoriting it, though…). Kudos to the following for putting a story alert for my fic' : **_**polak0113**_** (ya Polish, Buddy ?), **_** .790**___**(is 'priest' yr professional occupation or yr family name ? XD), **_**Captainkari**_** (make me think of Yakari, somehow…), **_**I'm a Lover not a Hater**_** (definitely one of the most original pennames I've seen on FF ! Bravo for the choice !), **_**DragoLord19D**_** (waow, you're already on 19D ?! We're only still on 3D here… XD), **_**Extraordinary Banana**___**(ya just HAVE to tell me the reason for your penname, LOL ! ;) !**

**Now, a special hug to **_**Pepper34**_** for FAVORITING my story (I've got many alerts, but few favoritings, so each one favoriting is dearest to my heart !) and a VERY special hug to **_**Shadow96angel**_** who both put story alert AND favorite ! (ya had already favorited and followed my previous sTTory '8', so thanxxxx for becoming a loyal follower ! =).**

**And a pat in the back for RE-VIE-WING to the following : first of all, **_**IcyKixz236**_** (thanxxxx for being such a constant reviewer, you make my day every time, Buddy !); and then… **_**Jinx**_** ! Yes, Jinx DID review on a story about… herself (and Rae) ! So yeah, thanxxxx a lot, Jinx ! I hope ya don't mind if I make ya so OoC… ^^'' **

**Alright, so I'm starting this on Sep. 9****th****, God only knows when I'll finish it… hopefully soon before the 20****th**** or so.**

**I'd like to congratulate authors Magical Ninja, the Angerflare and Writerzero for their wonderful, wonderful stories, who are really worth anybody's time. Ya guys rock the house ! Thanxxxx 4 sharin' yr talent wz us simple mortals ! XD And, ya, my dear readers, should definitely check these writers' stories !**

**Right, enough (babbling) is enough, let's start this thing that you will, hopefully,**

**N'JOY !**

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

The morning air was still somewhat cold in August. And when you're sleeping under a bridge, you may feel even colder upon waking up.

The teenager displaying unusual body features – pink hair and eyes, vertical pupils, grey skin – did shiver as she rubbed her eyes and yawned copiously, but soon, warmth started spreading… on the inside !

_Today, she's coming back ! Today I can see her again, can contemplate her again ! And marvel again at how gorgeous she is !_

She hadn't forgotten about the brief smile Raven had flashed her the previous day, and this made her smile in turn.

The grey-skinned teenager was eager to meet the other grey-skinned one – their demonic heritage made them immediately noticeable to the public eye – and spend a moment with her. Hopefully a longer one than the day before…

She closed her eyes and let her mind do the rest : summon the picture of the girl who was now dearest to her and relish the sight, especially the violet orbs and the thin lips !

_It's a wonderful feeling to be in love ! If only my love was returned…_

Time would tell, but Jinx was not too optimistic about the possibility of the empath sharing her own feelings… Somewhat hopeful yes, optimistic no.

After a while of delicious Raven-staring in her imagination, the bad-luck wearer finally paid attention to the discrete yet insistent gurgle rising from her guts… and decided that she was hungry after all, getting up and starting to walk towards the concrete pathway winding throughout the park.

Then, before reaching that pathway, she froze.

_But what if she comes during my absence ? She'll be looking for me, and if she can't fine me… then what ? She'll perhaps think I forgot about our meeting, or she just won't want to wait, and she'll get away ! And we'll have missed each other, while we were supposed to spend time together…_

The former bad girl hesitated.

Then she realized that, should she do quick, she wouldn't be absent that long, and therefore there was little risk of missing Raven.

Yes… yes, that DID sound fine !

_Okay, I'll fetch my breakfast real quick, then hurry up back here !_

Short after having begun her little stroll in direction of the east entrance of the park, she noticed a little girl staring at her, mouth ajar.

"Your hair !" screamed the child. "Your hair it is PINK ! Why it is pink, you hair ?"

It was obvious the kid was marveling at such an unusual hair colour.

Jinx smiled, and was about to reply, when the kid swiftly spoke up again.

"It is because you are in love that it is pink, your hair ?" the youngster innocently asked.

The once "bad witch" chuckled.

_Ah ah, touché !_

"Exactly ! That's why ! You're clever, you know that ?" she replied with a nice smile.

The little girl guffawed, hiding her mouth with both hands.

"Thank you !" she told the teenager, radiant from the compliment.

"You're welcome, Angel !"

"And you love who, Madam ?"

The last word made Jinx laugh for good.

_Me, Madam ? Ah ah, so sweet… childrens' naivety…_

Then she pondered a tad her answer.

"A very nice person whom I'm going to meet later" she said, purposely choosing to call Raven a "person", which didn't give any clue about the gender. For if she had said a "girl"… the child may have become either shocked or perplexed about it. A girl loving… a _** girl**_ ?

"And I have to hurry if I don't want to miss… that person…" the dark-clad teen said, and she resumed walking, waving goodbye to the little girl.

"Goodbye, Madam !"

This made Jinx laugh some more.

Then she remembered the innocent kid asking her if her hair was pink because she was in love. This made her smile at first, but then the smile froze as she started daydreaming about it, not slowing down her hasty pace though, in order to to be back here as soon as possible.

_Yes, I'm in love. So in love. Oh, Raven, why can't you be here already ?_

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

"You look… lost in thought. Hum, scratch that : you ARE lost in thought, and have been during the whole breakfast time ! Anything you wanna talk about, Rae ?"

Arella's daughter turned her violet gaze at the half-flesh half-machine teenager whom she considered her older brother, and put a smile on.

"Oh, no big deal, you know. And thanks for the "sharing proposal", but I have to handle this by myself. Not that I don't trust you, mind you : you know I do, and have known about your reliability for years, but it's just that… there are some really specific issues one has to solves by their own means ! Yet, should I need a… "shoulder to lean on", I know I can count on you, Cy ! Thanks a lot, as always !"

She smiled wider, giving him a nice look.

"No problem, as always, Rae. That's what friends are for : be a support anytime !"

She nodded, still smiling.

Then she walked to the large picture window offering an amazing panorama over Jump City, her mind still on friendship…

…and by the time she reached it, her smile had vanished, replaced by the most concerned expression.

A slight frown appeared on her forehead.

_Friendship… I'm lucky to benefit from its incredible power every day, but not everybody has that luck…_

The cloaked teen naturally had a certain girl on her mind as she brewed over the friendship topic.

_She used to have friends, and suddenly she finds herself all alone, sleeping under a bridge, like the random down-and-out._

Suddenly, it dawned on her that she had overlooked a very important question : the one dealing with Jinx's sustenance.

_Does she have any money at all ? Mmmmh… probably, since she was in that tea room. But how much does she have ? And how will she do to earn some, now that she resigned from the H.I.V.E. Five ? She had money from robberies, but what about now ? About her future ? I just didn't think about that._

And suddenly, Raven came to realization about a really unusual fact : she was worrying for Jinx. Worrying that things wouldn't go well for her.

She was deeply concerned about a person who used to be, and still not that long ago, her enemy !

That wasn't like her… at all !

But while Jinx definitely had been a foe to her, the recent events had clearly proved that the bad-luck one no longer showed hostility to her and on the contrary acted friendly to her.

The Dark Titan briefly thought about a possible trick : the horned sorceress trying to win the empath's trust, in order to better manipulate her and find a way to "stab her in the back", having exploited a fake friendship to get rid of the most powerful Titan.

But the thought, while it did cross her mind, didn't last long : Rae discarded it pretty rapidly, as she was certain that her fellow wizard wasn't "wearing any mask". Although not attempting to read the girl's mind, she had sensed honesty in her behaviour.

No, Jinx really had changed.

And for that change to take place, she had been forced to shatter all the bonds she had with her friends. And was now a lonesome person… without even a home !

_Jinx… I really hope you will be o-_

The blaring alarm interrupted her train of thoughts and made her turn around.

Robin hurried to the computer and quickly typed.

Soon, the screen displayed some footage from the video surveillance system : various electronic devices had gone haywire and were now attacking citizens.

"Mmmmh… electronic assault, with machines apparently possessed… I have an idea who that might be…" said the leader.

"Let me guess… Overload ?" proposed Cyborg.

"Exactly !" confirmed Rob.

"Let's give electricity some little power cut !" confidently exclaimed BB.

"But we will have to be careful not get elec…trified ? Electricized ? Electri… I don't know what !" Starfire confusedly spoke up.

"Electrocuted, Starfire !" merely corrected Robin.

Raven didn't breath out any word. She was far too preoccupied already.

But not by the incoming battle…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Jinx threw the waste paper into the trashcan, slowly chewing the last bit of her chocolate croissant. **(A/N : That reminds me of the episode LIGHT SPEED – if I remember the title correctly… -, when Kid Flash made an extremely fast back-and-forth trip to Paris, France, and offered Jinx what he had bought in that city: a croissant ! He was even bearing a local French hat : a beret ! So much for winks to France ;D Yet I'm Swiss, not French… even if French's my mother tongue !)**

Then she mechanically looked at her wrist, but of course, there was nothing there. As a criminal, she had never felt the need to have a watch : the robberies the H.I.V.E. Five committed rarely ever required some exact timing, and so keeping track of the time wasn't needed. Only Gizmo had a watch, and he himself didn't consult it that often.

But now, all of a sudden, she felt the need to know what time it was. And she did regret not to have a watch. Because, to her, time now was of the essence, she did care about it… especially this morning !

So the girl with the platform boots simply walked to a woman passing by and asked her.

"Hi ! Excuse me, can you tell me what time it is ?"

"Sure !" The addressee smiled and referred to her watch. "It's 9:30"

"Thanks a lot !"

"You're welcome !"

_**When**__ will she come ? At what time ? We should have agreed upon a precise hour…_

And indeed, Raven had declared that she would come "in the morning"… but hadn't said anything about the time she would arrive…

It did slightly annoy the now impatient Jinx to have to deal with it, and not know more precisely, yet she had no choice : after all, she had no communication mean to reach Raven.

She sat down on a bench and watched the girl who had just given her the time come to a halt and sit by another female waiting there, crisscross applesauce.

The second one grinned to the first one and both instantly started chatting.

Jinx smiled and looked away, her attention being temporarily drawn to a trio of male teenagers who were speaking in the most boisterous way, laughing very loud, and who alas happened to sit two benches away from her.

Jinx decided that they weren't worth her attention, and rather let her look wander off again.

Her pink gaze came back to the female duo who was now chuckling happily, and a small smirk stretched her mouth.

She would have loved to feel such complicity with Raven, both of them nicely talking, smiling, laughing. And perhaps, one of them would let her head rest in the other's lap and then-

The sorceress froze as she saw the girls suddenly bring their heads closer to each other's.

_But… they… they…_

The thought never came out clearly, as the next deed she witnessed suddenly made it unnecessary to ponder it any further.

Both females were kissing !

That's what Jinx had guessed when she had spotted their heads getting closer.

She swallowed her saliva, as she stared, both with shameful envy and unusual desire, at the girls now kissing more intensely, maybe even snogging, given the more rapid head moves.

The "grey witch" licked her lips as her eyes remained glued to the lesbians displaying their own different love.

"But look at those fucking dykes !"

The hateful scream abruptly broke Jinx's concentration, and she turned to the right, goggling.

The three boys were gesticulating in a way heated manner, yelling horrible things to the feminine couple.

"Go suck your tongues elsewhere, you fucking cunts !"

"Yeah, and speaking of cunts, chicks are not meant to lick, they're meant to SUCK !"

"Bloody hoes, get your perverted asses outta our park !"

Such ignominious insults !

Jinx would have glared at them if she hadn't dreaded their reaction : for if one of them noticed her sending daggers at them… she would be in great trouble !

Sure, she had her powers to fight them, but… she just remembered about Raven's future arrival that same morning, and thought that it would be a pity to ruin the happy mood she was in, all the more since it involved other persons than herself and it would be a bad idea to intervene.

She watched as he girl who had been waiting for her girlfriend stood up and answered back, in a loud yet non-insulting manner, and made a slight movement in the abusers' direction, her fist clenched.

Her girlfriend held her back, whispering words of calmness, trying to convince the other to just ignore those little disrespectful idiots. The angry one protested, gesturing menacingly towards the group of little louts, but ended up listening more than arguing.

Finally, the livid girl made a face to her soothing girlfriend, and both girls left rapidly, harassed by unremitting insults shouted always more loudly – as the couple moved away – and accompanied by fingers **(A/N : i.e. flips of birds, or middle fingers).**

Jinx felt nauseous from listening to such horrors and couldn't stand it anymore. She had remained to see what the girls would do, react or just leave, but now that they were gone, nothing held her back in that place, so she stood up, as discreetly as she could, and swiftly walked away, almost willing to run, but dreading to draw the bullies' attention…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

"Watch out ! Left !"

The scream of Cyborg had arrived just in time for Raven to turn to her left, where the half-robot boy was looking, and avoid the incoming car, which just missed her and crashed against a street light, causing the latter to heavily crash onto the ground.

Overload had sent his energy in various devices, ranging from cars to trucks, from cell phones to laptops, and all that he had invaded was attacking the Titans, in a way or another.

But as if things weren't already difficult enough, a second enemy had turned up and invited himself to the fight against the superheroes : Kardiak, the large mechanical heart. He had snuck in from behind and sucked up Starfire and Beast Boy, before Raven noticed and alerted the others.

"You're gonna regret it !" yelled Cy as he released a powerful beam that destroyed two of the monster's pipes.

He shot again and again until he had got all the pipes down, leaving just the huge heart itself.

Robin cast explosive capsules at the foe, and small cracks began to form on the surface of the monstrous being.

Raven, as for her, was dealing with Overload. She had tried to destroy him by casting dark waves at him, but to no avail. Then an idea popped up and she knew she might have the solution.

She focused her energy on two nearby hydrants, which happened to be located on both sides of Overload…

…and in the next seconds, water was spurting from both devices and reaching the electric monster simultaneously !

There was an impressive flash of light, as well as a loud explosion, and a cloud smelling of a short circuit suddenly appeared, and once it cleared away… there was no trace left of Overload ! No remnant. He had apparently been "vaporized".

Rae smirked and, after stopping the hydrants, turned towards her friends.

Kardiak was on the ground, after Beast Boy, having turned to an elephant, had made him collapse down to the concrete, and he was attacked both from within – Starfire's bolts and Beast Boy's gorilla punches – and from outside – Cyborg's beams and Robin's explosive capsules.

The monster finally exploded, freeing the Tamaranean and the changeling.

But the gigantic heart's pieces slowly began to roll away, heading for the same direction, and the Azarathian, remembering the enemy's ability to reassemble himself once he was out of sight, rose her hands in direction of the foe's fleeing elements.

Those got encased in black, and she brought them back to the main part, the heart itself, then she gathered the pipes' parts and acted identically.

Once all of Kardiak's parts were finally put together, she recited a spell and a large black wave of supernatural intensity rushed from Rae's hands to the dismantled organ… and disintegrated it !

Just like with Overload, nothing remained of the evil creature. Not even a single screw or metal bit.

"Great job, Rae ! And what's with Overload ? Where is he ?"

"I short-circuited him. He exploded and fully vanished."

"So… there is no more of him, correct ?" asked the red-haired female.

"No."

Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Waow ! I'm not easily impressed, but seeing you taking two enemies down all by yourself… just impressive ! Well done, Raven !"

She shrugged.

Then remembered something.

"I have to go."

"Where are you going ?" asked a curious morpher.

She imperceptibly frowned.

"Sorry, but that's personal. No offense, but I've got a couple of things to do and want to do them on my own. So I'll meet y-"

BEEP BEEP BEEP !

The leader took out his tiny alarm device, which emitted repetitive beeps when a new enemy was causing trouble, and hit a key.

He analyzed the data and looked up to the rest of the team.

"New alert, this time at the mall. It's Kyd Wykkyd." Then his eyes met the violet ones. "Sorry, Rae, but I'm afraid your personal stuff will have to wait a bit. We'll first take care of that one, then, if no other troublemaker is spotted, you'll be able to leave."

The empath restrained herself from biting her lip, which would have given away her frustration, and sighed.

"Well, if duty is calling, do I have the choice ?"

Her tone clearly let the others know of her upset and reluctance to battle… which was actually pretty uncommon for the Dark Titan ! And that's why her friends got surprised by her utterance.

"I've never seen you bothered to fight. But look, we'll try to take the Kyd down as soon as possible, so you can proceed to your things, if it's really that urgent !" explained the Boy Wonder.

The last part might have sounded somewhat sarcastic, yet it wasn't : Raven could tell Robin had said it sincerely, without any lurking idea or underlying irony.

"It actually is. But let's go : the sooner we deal with that killjoy, the sooner I can take care of my own stuff…"

There was a hint of impatience in her tone.

They all started to leave the place, and short after taking off, the half-demon, whose thoughts were now on Jinx, and on the discussion they were supposed to have, took out her communicator and her eyes narrowed at the time, in the right upper part.

11:00 a.m.

_I must hurry ! She's waiting for me and most of the morning is already gone. Why are there so many enemies out just this precise morning ?_

She would never have been eager to meet Jinx, before. But that was the "old" Jinx, the criminal. The "new" one had nothing in common with her previous self. There was something almost… **endearing** about the Jinx she had met the day before !

Raven briefly smirked as she recalled how shy and hesitant her fellow sorceress had been. She was touching, so different from the cocky, self-confident brat she had once been.

_Quick ! Let's finish this mission ! I can't stand her up ! She said she would be happy to see me again…_

And it occurred to Raven, as she rushed to complete her superheroine duty, that she now cared about what her former enemy felt.

And that she was hurrying… just for her !

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Jinx couldn't bear it anymore.

She rose from the lawn and walked towards a mother playing with her children. Needless to say, a much more pleasing scene than the one she had been involuntary witness of, earlier.

"Hello ! Excuse me, can you please tell me what time it is ?"

The woman smiled at her.

"Hi ! Let me see… it's a quarter past noon."

"Thank you ! Goodbye !"

"Bye !"

The horned sorceress turned around and started walking away.

There was a pain in her chest, on the left. It wasn't difficult to guess where it emanated from…

That added to the uneasiness she had been feeling in her belly for a moment now.

And given her sadness and disappointment, she wouldn't be so surprised if she gained a headache as well, to top it off.

_She didn't come. She had said she would… yet no. Is it that she couldn't ? Or that she didn't want to ? And I was absent for so little time before that she certainly would have waited for me if she had turned up at that moment !_

Jinx wasn't sure, really. Did Raven still want to meet her that day ? Had she possibly changed her mind, and thought that she, Jinx, would go on lying to her, and that therefore a discussion with her wouldn't be worth it ? That speaking to a former criminal who had just been twisting the truth so often the day before wasn't of any use ?

_No, I'm sure she meant it ! I'm convinced she DID want to meet me for good today ! So she certainly had a hitch of some sort… And me who was so happy to see her…_

As she walked, her cheeks got wet, and no matter how often she would wipe them off, the wetness always returned, in tiny twin "waterfalls".

She glanced at the guy selling sandwiches and paninis, as she sobbed and sniffed, looking for a handkerchief in her pocket. She had planned to buy something from him for lunch… but she suddenly wasn't that hungry anymore ! She didn't feel like eating in this moment.

She sadly trudged towards the entrance of the park, regretting the awful morning she had just had : witnessing the violence of homophobia, and waiting in vain a girl she dearly hoped to spend time with. No questions asked : it was a bad day.

The poor grey-skinned teen was about to exit the par when…

"Jinx !"

The pink-haired female turned around swiftly, eyes wide open, as she had recognized the owner of that voice calling her.

Raven was running in her direction. She had landed in the park short ago, and used her empathic senses to locate the girl with the stripped leggings.

Jinx ran towards the half-demon too, and in no time, both were together.

The cat-eyed one had to resist really hard the urge to throw herself at Rae and hug her, her head nested against the blue cloak, looking for comfort. She just couldn't do that. She would have had the choice ONLY IF she had been certain the Dark Titan shared the same feelings, and that love was reciprocal among the two. And it wasn't the case.

At least… _not yet_.

The platform-booted girl felt the tears return, but this time, they didn't implied sadness : they actually symbolized its exact opposite, happiness. Same biological phenomenon, but antipodal feelings.

"Raven, I… I thought you had had some impediment, and that you would not come after all !"

Jinx said in a trembling voice, the hot drops flowing down her cheeks without interruption.

The Goth put her hand on Jinx's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Jinx. We had to fight no less than three villains this morning, then there was an accident and we had to help the rescue teams. And since I had no way of informing you about my delay, I just had one option : do as fast as I could to be able to rush here as soon as possible. I'm so sorry ! Please stop crying !"

The Azarathian then positioned herself on Jinx's side and put her arm around her shoulder, doing her best to comfort her.

"It… it will be okay now… thank… thank you… for coming… Raven !" stuttered the horned witch.

"No problem. I hate to think I made you cry. Then again, who likes to make others cry ?"

Jinx dried her tears, then got an idea.

"Hey, if you haven't had lunch yet, how about having a sandwich in the park ?"

Raven raised an eyebrow. She didn't expect her former enemy to propose her to share her lunchtime.

"Well… mmmmh, yes, why not, all things considered ? Thanks for the proposal !"

Jinx beamed, grinning wider than she ever had.

"Great ! Come with me !"

They ended up ordering paninis, both vegetarian ones. Jinx was pleased to learn that the girl she was infatuated with had the same culinary tastes.

Suddenly, something caught the eye of the bad luck wearer.

Behind Rae, in the distance, was coming a group of people. And not just _any_ people : the three homophobes who had insulted the lesbian couple earlier !

Panic suddenly rose in a flash inside Jinx.

Raven noticed and, after turning around and checking the surroundings, her eyes stopping longer on the three boys arriving, she looked again at her fellow sorceress, perplexed.

"A problem ?"

"N…No… but we have to get out of this park quickly !"

"Is it about these three boys coming our way ?"

"Raven, please, let's leave now ! I'll explain you later !"

"Okay…"

Both girls swiftly walked out of the park and followed the sidewalk edging the park, bypassing it to reach another entrance.

It took them quite some time, but they finally walked back inside the park through another entrance and soon reached a bench, where both took place.

"So what was your dread about ? Was it the trio of boys walking in our direction ? Did they do anything to you ?"

The ex-baddie couldn't help feeling a hint of happiness when she heard that last question. The half-demon was concerned for her ? Few things would have pleased her more than **this** !

"No, not to me. But they were… pretty rude and aggressive with two other girls that were sitting not far from them…"

"And for what reason ?"

"Well… the girls were… close to each other and… those boys began insulting them… calling them degrading names…"

Raven nodded in a knowing manner.

"I see what it's about. These stupid little bullies are homophobes. And they certainly thought the girls were lesbians, because they were close to each other."

Jinx had decided to be sincere to Raven on that day, and if she meant it, she had better start already now, and not hide anything to her.

"Actually… the girls _**were**_ lesbians ! They were kissing right before the boys started lashing out at them ! So yeah, they pretty much were homophobes ! And this made me so sick… nauseous… I hate disrespect of one's identity !"

She abruptly shut her mouth. She had said a lot… maybe too much ? She had started unveiling her feelings about attacks on same gender-love. Would the gothic girl by her side draw some conclusions… or not ?

"Actually, I totally agree on you about how it's unacceptable to mug someone simply because they're different. Homosexuals are not like us, and so what ? Haven't they got the right, like anybody else, to live their own lives without being harassed, insulted, physically harmed ? After all, mankind's specificity, contrary to animals and plants, is that humans are all different. They are some white, some black, some with brown skin. There are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists. Heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals. Introverts, extraverts, calm, impatient, generous, selfish. Some are intellectuals, some sportsmen and sportswomen. Each of us has their distinct identity, personality, nature, tastes, ideas. What's the use of openly lacking respect to one who's not like yourself ? It's pointless, absurd, ridiculous, selfish ! I despise intolerant people !"

Rae paused and, starting to eat her Panini, she looked calmly at Jinx, to see how she would react to her speech, if she would agree with her, what she would say herself.

"You're totally right, Raven ! I didn't know you were so tolerant and open-minded ! It honors you !" A short silence. "And so, that means you would have been tolerant with those two lesbians ? Accepted them like they were ?"

The empath nodded, a gentle smile briefly appearing on her lips.

The pink-haired's eyes shone from gratitude. She was so happy to hear that the girl she loved… had nothing against love between females ! Relief had spread within her, and happiness had increased in her heart and mind. That didn't imply that Rae would necessarily accept her love… but that was still a good omen !

"Thank you, Raven ! Thank you for being so tolerant to people who are different from you ! I admire you for such openness !"

The Azarathian smiled again, wider this time.

"No problem. I just try to be fair to my fellow humans, that's all."

The two girls then ate in silence for a moment, both admiring the sunny landscape of the park and, occasionally, gave each other a brief look… followed each time by a small smile.

It wasn't long before the cloaked teen had finished her Panini.

She saw that her vis-à-vis was almost done eating as well, so she just waited patiently until the hex female had swallowed her last mouthful.

Then she spoke up, her face now serious.

"Jinx, may I now know why you lied to me yesterday ? And may I finally know WHY you changed your attitude to me ? For I sensed that what you were telling me, while quite plausible… was wrong ! That you were hiding something, something that, for some reason, you didn't dare to tell me. But I want to know. I **need** to know ! Please, keep your promise and be honest to me !"

_The time has come… no sneaking off, no escape… just bare truth… I don't have a choice… how can I have even the slightest chance with her if I keep on lying ?_

The confessor **(A/N : Apparently, this word also refers to someone confessing some secret to somebody else, so it's no strictly religious…)** took a deep inhalation, forcing herself to stare courageously at the female she care deeply for, and whose trust she absolutely wanted to earn… then made a small lip movement, and began.

"Well, I changed my attitude because, honestly… I really would like to befriend you, and would be so happy if you would agree to have me as your friend. I know we used to be enemies, and that I was a criminal for a long time, but… sincerely, I don't feel like robbing anymore. And I also don't feel like fighting you and the others anymore. I just realized how fed up I was with this life… I want to change. Become respectable. Stop causing harm. Stop being a nuisance. That's pretty much the reason of my attitude's reversal." She paused. "And if I did avoid you when casting onslaughts at you, and later attacked Gizmo to avoid your being hurt by him, it was because of that : because I didn't want you to be hurt, for If I mean to be a good friend to you – and nothing would please me more ! – then I should help you or protect you, or even save your life if I have to… because that's what friends do for each other ! I did it all out of friendship for you, hoping that you would agree to my friendship… even if I really wasn't sure you would !"

Jinx was silent after opening her heart, something she rarely did. Only Mammoth had had the honor of knowing about her intimate feelings, emotions and thoughts. He had been her confident. But that had been it.

Raven let the info sink inside her mind, pondering it dumbly **(A/N : And about this one, it's a synonym for 'silently', as you guys know that dumb can mean either 'stupid'… or 'mute, silent' ! Sorry if I do explain some of my choices of words, but ya know, my mother tongue's French, not English, and although I manage pretty good in English, I tend to be doubtful about certain expressions or words I use… hence my habit to explain when there can be misleading about some English stuff ! Hope ya forgive the poor French speaker, eh ? ;)**

Finally, the cloaked one gazed intently at her fellow magician.

"I have to say that what you told me actually pleases me. A lot. It's not often that a felon decided to renounce their illegal activities and start acting according to the law. In fact, it's rare. Most of the time, lawbreakers stick to their negative behaviours, and sometimes start doing even worse. Therefore, if once in a blue moon, an evildoer decides to call it quits, as regards his bad deeds, I can't be anything but appreciative about it. And so, I do sincerely congratulate you and thank you for deciding to give up criminal activities ! As for your friendship proposal, I'm flattered about that ! Not many people propose me to be their friend !"

Jinx swallowed her saliva and put on an hesitant smile.

"That means you believe me ? And that you don't suspect me of trying to deceive you with a fake repentance, to better stab you in the back later ? You don't think that, do you ?"

Her tone easily gave away her concern about Raven possibly doubting her good faith.

But the empath merely smiled, snorting in the process.

"It's okay, Jinx. Don't worry. I can sense when people are telling me the truth, and of course also when they are lying. And I know that you're being honest. So, thank you also for your sincerity ! That's what I was asking for !"

"Thank _**you**_, Raven ! It means a lot that I can share this intimate stuff with you. And your compliments and your support mean even more to me ! I… I don't know what to say, other than thank you so much !"

Raven's smile widened a bit.

"You don't need to add anything, Jinx. That's far enough. And since I know you sincerely want to be my friend, and want me to be yours, then I think I'll agree to this. After all, although we used to be on opposites sides of the law, we still have a lot in common, don't we ? Magic users, with grey skin, dark clothes that make us look gothic teens, hair of close colours, both vegetarians, both with a certain personality and strong nature, tending to use sarcasm and irony – although perhaps a tad less for you lately. So, as you can see, there are several common points between us two, thus it sounds somehow logical or appropriate that we would get closer to each other and befriend."

The Azarathian smiled warmly.

Jinx licked her lips as she pondered the last sentence Raven had uttered.

_It sounds somehow logical or appropriate that we would get closer to each other…_

…_get closer to each other…_

… _closer…_

"Are you okay, Jinx ? You look… thoughtful…"

The girl with the vertical pupils suddenly realized that she had been addressed, and her eyes ceased to drift off into space to suddenly regain attention.

"Yes, I… was just thinking about what you said. We have a lot in common, yes. And I'm sure we will make great friends !"

The hex girl smiled nicely at the dark energy girl, who smiled back.

There was a pause, each looking at the other, each smiling… no one talking…

_BEEP BEEP !_

Raven sighed and made a face.

"God, how I truly HATE when that device interrupts me in the middle of something important…!"

She rolled her eyes as she finished.

Both Rae's tone and funny expression made Jinx laugh.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help it, Raven ! That was funny ! I'm not used to see you behave in a funny way !"

"Neither am I ! I used to tell Beast Boy that I "don't do fear", I could as well have said that I "don't do fun" neither ! That's part of my impassive and taciturn nature. And when I manage to make my friends laugh, it's always unwitting : I just use sarcasm, irony, and sometimes they find it funny and laugh. Now, please excuse me for a minute !"

The half-demon answered the device.

"Raven, you have to meet us by the post office as fast as possible ! Killer Moth has summoned its moth army to try and take possession of Jump City !"

"Looks like a serious one ! Okay, I'm on my way. Over."

Jinx was watching her anxiously.

"You'll have to battle a tough enemy, that's right ? I overheard it…"

Rae sighed.

"Yes. A giant moth, half-human like us, is willing to take control of the city. It's up to the Titans to stop him."

"Please, be careful, okay, Raven ?"

The addressee smiled warmly.

"I will. And as for you, take care of yourself, right… my **friend** ?"

The witch's eyes shone, her smile growing to a grin.

_She called me "her friend" ! I can't believe it ! She just __did__ ! I've never been happier in my whole life !_

"Sure !" she replied in the merriest tone, beaming. "My **friend** !"

Raven finally grinned as well and put her hood back up.

"When… when will I see you again ?" quickly asked Jinx.

"Mmmmmh… difficult to say… I'll be very busy today, with Killer Moth to stop. And I may end up the day really tired, after all these foes to battle, so I can't speak for this evening… maybe rather tomorrow… but you'll normally see of me in the next 24 hours !"

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you, Raven. Not that I have that much to do anyway."

Jinx had uttered the last sentence on a funny, almost ironic tone, meaning to joke somehow, but Raven felt sorry for her.

_Now that she has left her team, she's all alone, without friends, and has nothing much to do all day long. I understand why she values my friendship that much. Poor Jinx…!_

"Alright" said the empath. She turned to take off, then suddenly recalled something and turned to the pink-haired teenager. "Oh, and one last thing : call me Rae. All my friends do."

And she did something she barely ever did : she winked while smiling.

"Okay…Rae !" whispered Jinx.

Her heart overflowed with happiness and tenderness in this moment.

"See you later, Jinx !"

"See you later, Rae !"

The cloaked girl rose higher and higher, then, before disappearing, she waved goodbye at her fellow sorceress. Jinx waved back, grinning up to her ears.

_Raven is my friend… __**RAE**__ is my friend ! I can't believe it !_

And the bad luck female thought, smiling through her daydream, that she had never had that much… GOOD luck !

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**Waow ! Wasn't that long ? Is it me or are my chapters longer and longer ? :O**

**Alright, so Rae & Jinx have become friends eventually. It happened fast, I know, but that because Raven was moved by Jinx's fragility and kindness, and since she could tell the former bad girl was sincere when she said she wanted to befriend her… and also since Raven never has anybody asking for her friendship, then she agreed to Jinx's proposal ! So when one sincerely wants to be her friend, ****and**** that she does enjoy that person's company, she will certainly answer positively. **

**I put a little action scene as well, because I just felt like showing the crucial role that Raven has in the team. I mean, come on, the girl is just the most powerful of all Titans ! And I chose enemies that are rarely seen in the show or in the FF stories : Overload, Kardiak, Kid Wykkyd, Killer Moth, coz honestly, I saw so many times Cinderblock, Plasmus, Mumbo or Dr. Light in others' sTTories that it gets boring / 'deja-vu' after a while… hence the need to choose more original foes !**

**Hope ya guys liked this one as well. I write a lot at work, as well as at home, and since work is quiet these days, I have plenty of time to write… hence the regular/constant updates ! (I started this one on the 9****th****, and today's the 15****th****) But I can't promise ya guys I'll be able to continue publishing every week : it really depends on my professional workload which, if low, enables me to write much… but, if high, delays the story update a lot ! Hopefully, hopefully…**

**I do hope that more people will either favorite or, mostly, R.E.V.I.E.W., coz as I already repeated it, an author needs feedbacks to have the best proof of others' liking (following is cool, but the best are the reviews… a word to the wise is enough, eh ! ;)**

**Thanxxx a lot to anybody caring to read this ! You really all bring me joy, Folks ! But I count on ya for more reviews, even short ones ! :D**

**Laterzzzzzz !**

**))))))))))))))))))) Afterburner ((((((((((((((((((**


	7. A word between you and me

**)))))) VI ((((((**

**)))) A wOrD bEtWeEn YoU aNd Me… ((((**

**)))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((**

**Morning… or afternoon… or evening ! (delete whichever doesn't apply)**

**First of all, massive massive thanks to the reviewers :**

_**IcyKixz236**_** : Your constant support decidedly warms my heart, and I'm way delighted that you're enjoying each chappy ! If you have any constructive feedback to help me improve, please let me know what I can change, remove or add. I'll do my best to please ya. Same goes for all reviewers : any feedback is constructive… as long as it's made politely ! **** So yeah, thank you so very very much, Icy ! :DDD**

_**I'm a Lover not a Hater**_** : I am really grateful to you for reviewing, and for drawing my attention on those Author's Notes I scatter inside each chapter. In all honesty, I've done that for almost all (if not ALL) of my stories up to now, and nobody ever confessed to me that this commenting habit of mine annoyed them. But there's a first for everything, eh ! ;) So, no problem about that, I understand how ya feel and I will change this, just for ya ! :D I'm gonna henceforth put digits between parentheses after the sentence to comment about, (like that : (1), you see) relating to footnotes I'll put in the afterword and comment on.**

**As for the fact that Jinx is OoC in my story… sorry, but I wanted the story that way, with a more fragile Jinx (did I mention how I like to use OoC in my story ? I did ? Ok, shutting it… XD) and now that I've begun like that, I can hardly back-pedal. BUT I can tell ya this, that hopefully will satisfy ya : once Jinx & Raven will be an item, I plan to make Jinx return to her self-confident nature, and be somewhat cocky again, every now and then. That would be because, once she feels secure again – i.e. when she is fully happy with Rae, both being a couple -, her natural behaviour will slowly re-emerge and make her the one she was, ironic, self-confident… but in a nice way now, no longer in a negative one !**

_**Extraordinary banana**_** : Buddy, I think I've never received an odder review than yours ! What were ya on when ya wrote it : LSD ? Amphetamine ? Marijuana ? Sincerely had to laugh out loud at your peculiar words ! Oh, and I saw that ya too didn't like the overfamous RaeXBB pairing ! I'm relieved to see there ****does**** exist people on FF who don't appreciate that pairing. I respect those who do, but hell, these two are so different that I can't imagine them as a couple… ever ! Opposites attract ? Sure they do, but NOT always… and if the opposites are TOO different from each other, little chance they will attract ! Which is pretty much why I think RaeXBB most unlikely (her being irritated by him often enough throughout the whole show), and therefore never will support it. Although I do respect those who ship that pairing… **

**And my thanxxxx also go to the favoriter (Jragon65) and follower (Awesomegirl6485), which make my day as well. Far less fav' / foll' this past week, but I guess that's coz either ppl didn't want to read my fic', didn't see it or didn't hv enough time to surf on FF. Blame it on studies ? Yeah, perhaps…**

**Just forgot to tell ya that the wise speech of Raven in previous chapter, about how we all are different as humans, actually reflects my own opinions about differences : no matter how much we differ from each other, each one should actually be respected as he/she is. There's no good reason to hate someone ONLY because of his/her being distinct from us. Don't forget this : "UNITED WE STAND". And homophobes and racists can just go fuck themselves !**

**Oh, and a funny thing here : in this fic', I made both Raven & Jinx vegetarians. Yet in the story I'm currently reading, called simply BEAST BOY AND RAVEN (by Writerzero), it's written that Raven needs has to eat meat because her demon half absolutely needs meat ! (kind of assuming that demon are carnivorous…). If Writerzero ever reads previous chappy, where I mention Rae being veggie… he/she will have a heart attack ! XD**

**So much for that.**

**And now, Ladies & Gentlemen, all that's left to say is…**

**ENJOY !**

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

The railings opened and the tired bodies emerged, walking slowly in single file, under the watchful eyes of the wardens.

Soon enough, the mass of ex-convicts arrived in the refectory and sat where they wanted, with who they wanted.

Naturally, those who happened to know each other sat together, in groups.

That was the case with a foursome, at the end of a table : a huge hybrid /half-animal, half-human), a thin African-American wearing an helmet, a tall red-clad guy wearing a black mask and a small bald boy with green and black goggles on top of his head.

"Man, I just hate this place !" grumbled Billy Numerous.

"Labouring the point, Dude !" sarcastically dropped See-More.

"We're in a difficult situation, so we shouldn't fight. It's already hard enough to be here, so if we start quarreling with each other… we're never gonna see the end of it !" wisely observed Mammoth.

"What we need to do is focus on a plan to escape. Work together, instead of complaining individually. I have started taking a look at the premises, the jailors' presence, their patrol patterns, and I think I can find some useful items in here, that could help us out of here…" explained Gizmo.

The food was always that average, but when one is hungry and can't choose his food, he will eat anything in the end. Because otherwise, there's no living on : starvation opens the way to the ultimate goodbye…

The four baddies ate in silence for a while, the only sound being the noise made by the cutlery against the plates.

After a while, when they were almost finished, the mastermind smiled as he chew monotonously, and in his eyes, an evil glint appeared.

"I'm dying to be outside, really…"

The other three turned to him.

"To start robbing again ?" asked Billy.

He shook his head, still smirking evilly.

"To get our revenge against the Titans ?" suggested See-More.

"Yes, amongst other things. I'll be happy to crush them. But I'm mostly looking forward to punishing someone else…"

Mammoth imperceptibly stiffened on the bench, his gaze suddenly becoming more alert.

He had been listening to the conversation but without feeling the need to actually add something of his own. It was one of those talks one listens to absent-mindedly, until…

Until a certain info suddenly strikes the ear and triggers the interest… or triggers a certain emotion !

In Mammoth's case, the emotion was fear. Not one of those fears that paralyze, rather one that slightly worries. A discrete, lurking fear, but one that nonetheless was well present… and nibbled at both mind and heart !

He knew what the leader had on his mind. And just couldn't tolerate it.

"You still want to punish Jinx, don't you, Gizmo ?" he said on a harsh tone, frowning.

The brainy boy stared hard at his massive teammate.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I STILL DO ! After all, she attacked me, didn't she ?" he coldly replied.

"She may have had a good reason for doing so. Why would she turn against a teammate ?"

"A _former_ teammate, in fact. She had already left the gang, at the time. Was she perhaps trying to help the Titans or what ?"

Mammoth seemed outraged by such an hypothesis.

"Jinx would **never** do that ! She wouldn't get closer to any of the Titans !"

"Yeah, well that still doesn't explain why she attacked Gizmo !" groaned Billy Numerous. "He never did anything to her !"

"Maybe he never, but he recently was willing to cast her out of the group, without giving her a second chance…"

The mastermind glared at him.

"Are we supposed to keep useless elements in the team ?" he yelled.

"You could at least have given her some time off, instead of just kicking her out !" the huge hybrid yelled back.

"Eh guys, come on !" whispered See-More. "Calm down, or else the wardens…"

He left his sentence unfinished as he saw a jailor slowly walk towards their gang. The guard's pace had a clearly threatening look, which implied that the man was ready to use strength if needed…

He stopped behind Gizmo and Billy Numerous.

"What was that row for ?" the warden asked, slowly crossing his arms.

"Nothing, Sir, nothing !" quickly replied See-More. "Our friends were just arguing about stuff from the past, that's all ! Really nothing of importance !"

The jailor silently stared at him from behind his dark glasses, motionless as a statue.

Nobody spoke.

See-More, somewhat nervous, escaped the official's stare by looking at each of his teammates in turn, looking for support. They were merely staring at him as well, showing no particular emotion, waiting for what was next.

"Stay quiet now !" the guard ordered on an authoritarian voice.

Then he uncrossed his arms and walked away in the same self-confident, slightly menacing pace.

"You're a fucking jerk !" whispered Gizmo, glaring at Mammoth.

The latter glared back, then finally had to look elsewhere, allowing wrath to possibly decrease gradually as the one triggering it was out of sight.

A while after, all prisoners were allowed outside for the morning walk.

The members of the now H.I.V.E. Four team didn't walk all together : Gizmo and Billy were first, both having a pretty lively discussion, then came See-More, and finally Mammoth.

The large hybrid was lost in deep thoughts.

_Where is she ? How is she ? What is she doing ? Jinx… Jinx, I miss you. You were like a little sister to me, and now I'm all alone. If only I could get out of here and find you… Damn, I hope you're good !_

His drifting-off gaze suddenly regained attention as he noticed that the "Eyeball Boy" had stopped and was visibly waiting for him.

"Hey Mammoth ! I wanted to tell you that… you're right, after all ! Gizmo should have given Jinx some time off and have a serious discussion, instead of planning to kick her out of the gang. I wasn't that close to her, not like you, and rarely ever talked to her, but… I don't know… somehow, without her, there's something missing. **Someone** missing ! It's not the same without her."

The muscular being cast him a grateful look and sighed.

"Thanks, See-More ! I appreciate. You're the only one actually trying to sympathize with me about this. The other two just don't give a damn about Jinx. Billy always agrees to Gizmo's opinions, and Gizmo clearly wants to punish Jinx. If we ever get out, I'll have to make sure she is safe and that none of the two harms her. I really doubt I can reason with them, but I can still try. But again, thanks for your words !"

The African-American smiled.

"Hey, no prob', Man ! I start to think I've not been fair with Jinx, and kind of ignored her. It was stupid from me. I didn't know what to talk about with her, yet I could have tried. I _**should**_ have ! I hope she's okay."

"So do I, See-More, so do I… More than anything else I could hope for !"

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

_How is he ?_

She was staring absent-mindedly in front of her.

_What is he feeling ?_

She hardly ever blinked as she drifted off.

_How does he get along with the other three ?_

Her eyes slightly narrowed as she remembered how Gizmo had behaved to her, merciless with a former "stainless" partner in crime who had proved her value time and time again.

_What does he think of me now, after my leave and my unexpected attack in the park ?_

She suddenly came back to reality and lowered her pink eyes to the grass of the park.

_Oh Mam', how much I miss you ! I wish you were here with me…_

She rose and began slowly walking, lost in thought.

If there was one thing that she presently hated, aside from not having a decent place to stay in, it was to have lost Mammoth's friendship. He had always been there for her, no matter what. And now… now **she** wasn't here for **him** !

Jinx was sad, but not to the point of crying. She already had lately, which was pretty strange for someone who had wept so rarely in her existence.

She used to be self-confident, cocky, ironic… and suddenly, all of this had disappeared and had been replaced by love, tenderness, unease, fragility, sadness… to the point she'd shed tears.

What was happening to her ?

There really was so much unexpected in the air, lately.

Anything could now happen out of the blue, just like that. One moment you're safe and calm, and the next one you-

"Stop thief !"

The scream pierced the quietness of the park, in her back.

Turning, she saw a young adult running away, handbag in fist.

She hesitated.

Then raised her hands and, swiftly calculating speed and itinerary, released several pink waves, and moved her hands to the right to launch more : in case she would miss him with the first attack, following ones might get the thief.

And indeed, the first attack missed him, as did the second one… but the third one hit him square, making him yell and collapse.

He hadn't had time to get back up when the robbed lady, having run after him, reached him and, grabbing her bag, screamed at him and turned to walk… in Jinx's direction ?

The "Pink Sorceress" raised a brow.

"Well done, superheroine !" a voiced said behind her.

She instantly identified the speaker and, turning around, she greeted her with a smile.

"Hi, Raven ! I… I didn't hear you coming !"

The addressee smiled back.

"It's Rae, not Raven. And if you didn't hear me come, that's because I only just landed behind you. That's far more silent than footsteps. Good job for the thief !"

"Thanks… Rae ! But I'm no superheroine, you know. YOU are !"

The "Violet Sorceress" shrugged. **(1)**

"You could be as well…"

"Hi, excuse me, are you part of the Titans ?"

Both grey-skinned teens directed their gazes at the lady who had just avoided being robbed, courtesy of Jinx's intervention.

She was looking at Jinx, whom she had seen casting pink waves at the thief as she pursued him.

The horned magician was surprised to be mistaken for a Titan, and didn't answer immediately.

But a reply nevertheless came.

"Yes, she is."

Jinx's jerked her head towards Raven, who glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, smiling.

"She IS indeed part of the Teen Titans !" insisted the Azarathian.

Jinx's eyes were still goggling at her fellow wizard.

_But… why does she…_

"I knew it !" exclaimed the lady. "And I really wanted to thank you for your help ! I was almost certain he could get away with my bag. Thanks for stopping him ! You Teen Titans are the best !" **(2)**

Jinx had turned back to the woman as the latter spoke, but she was still round-eyed and her mind actually still was on Raven's quite surprising claim.

"Y-Yeah… well… you… you're welcome… it's… nothing, really…" the bad luck girl stuttered.

Once the lady was gone, Jinx turned to Raven, no longer goggling but still sporting a puzzled expression.

"Why did you say that I was a Teen Titan, Rae ?"

The meditation adept shrugged.

"Because I knew that if that woman thought you were a Titan, she would show you gratitude, and probably more gratitude than she would have for a random helper. And in your situation, receiving warm thanks certainly helps feeling better and proud of yourself !"

Jinx felt a heat wave hit her face.

"You… you said it to have her be nice and grateful to me ? In order to help me feel better ?"

She got a nod and smile in response.

"Rae, that's… that's really sweet of you ! I…I don't know what to say… thank you so much !"

"My pleasure. If I can help my friends feeling better, especially when they're in a not-so-good situation, I will gladly do it. And my friends' happiness is a real gift !"

The girls sat down on the nearest bench.

"Sorry for not being able to come yesterday evening, but it had been a long day, and I honestly was way tired. I hope you weren't too upset about it…"

Jinx's eyes instantly widened as she energetically shook her head.

"Oh no, no it was okay ! Really ! No problem ! I understand. You can't always do what you want, as a Titan : you have a lot to handle, with all criminals on the loose. It's perfectly understandable and acceptable !"

"Yes, and I also need to regularly meditate, on a daily basis. That also takes time."

Jinx's face gave away her surprise.

"You're in meditation ? As in yoga and such ?"

"It's different from yoga. I sit with legs crossed and let my body levitate, then I must focus on my center and repeat a mantra that helps me remaining in check of my emotions. Because meditation is here to help me keeping my emotions under control."

The ex-H.I.V.E. student felt more confused than before.

"There is an issue with your emotions ? Or did I misunderstand anything ?"

The chakra girl nodded.

"Look, Jinx, I suggest we take a moment to ourselves, in a café or tea room, for me to explain you more in detail."

"Okay, Rae. I have spotted a close-by café, on South Avenue. Shall we go there ?"

"We shall." concluded the Goth, slightly smiling.

Eight minutes later, the two female wizards were sitting in said café, both with an herbal tea in front of them, the pink-eyed one willing to taste the violet-eyed's favourite tea.

The girl in the black dress looked at the one clad in the blue cloak, leaving her all the time to think things over and choose her words to express herself.

"My mother, Arella, was a human, while my father, Trigon, was a demon. A really powerful one. After he got her pregnant, he left and she was alone to raise me. I soon learned that I was a half-demon, and that my emotions were unstable, because such were the demonic emotions inherited from my father. Human ones already can lack stability, so demonic ones… they are far worse !"

She paused and sipped her tea.

Jinx repressed her will to ask something and instead kept staring at Raven, waiting for her to say more.

"In order to keep my emotions under control, I had to learn meditation. That was taught to me by monks from the temple of Azarath, my homeland. I learned my mantra and many other incantations and spells from them, and if I'm able to keep my feelings in check, but only because of daily meditation, it's thanks to them."

There was another silence during which Jinx took the first sip of her herbal tea.

"Mmmmh, it's good !" she exclaimed, smiling.

"Isn't it ?" uttered the Goth. "I don't drink only this, but if you ask me about a daily drink of mine, I'll tell you : herbal tea. Definitely. I somehow find it… soothing !"

Jinx nodded and sipped some more.

Then she decided to expose what was on her mind.

"So… you must meditate every day to have a control over your emotions, right ?"

"Exactly."

"That's… really restrictive !" Jinx's voice sounded disappointed.

"It is. But I have no other choice. If I don't meditate, there's a great risk that my emotions will cause trouble. And depending on the emotion involved… it can ever threaten life itself !"

The eyes of the Pink Sorceress were opened wide.

"R…Really ?"

Rae gave a deep sigh.

"Really."

Jinx felt like she would stutter if she started a sentence. She dearly wanted to comfort her new friend, yet wasn't sure about the words fitting best.

"Rae… I'm… I'm so sorry for you…" she ended up whispering. "I…well… if there is anything I can do for you… to help you… please don't hesitate !"

The bad luck girl bit her lip, not knowing immediately what else she could add.

"Thank you, Jinx. Thank you very much. Your concern and solidarity are really touching. I appreciate. But I'm afraid there is nothing you can do about the control of my emotions. It's my own and only responsibility to make sure I'm not a menace to my friends. My teammates know exactly what burden I have to deal with, day after day, but they accept me the way I am."

She paused.

Although she had befriended Jinx only short ago, and didn't know much about her, she curiously felt comfortable around her, and secure too. She had that mysterious impression one gets when they almost immediately feel like trusting a new person, although having known that person for only little time. And which makes one unexpectedly start to confide to that person.

One of those things that can hardly be explained, let alone understood.

"You know, Jinx…" Raven went on "…at first, when the Teen Titans all met, and Robin proposed me to join the team… I refused. I said that if they knew what I was – that is, a half-demon – they wouldn't want me around. But Robin merely said that he "knew enough", implying he was aware I could definitely be part of the squad and bring a lot in it. I was really moved by their tolerance. It's difficult for one who feels outcast to fit in somewhere, and when people show complete acceptance, it's such a relief, and makes one so grateful…"

She gave a quick smile and lifted the hot mug to her grey lips again.

"I'm so glad you were accepted the way you are. You are lucky to have such great friends…"

And after uttering this, Jinx's look suddenly lost focus and, her stare in the vague, she felt a pang of sadness overwhelm her.

_She may have that emotional burden to deal with_ _daily, but at least, she still has friends, and pretty tolerant ones…_

"Are you sad about losing your friends ?"

The hex girl's head quickly turned to Raven's face.

"How… How do you know ?"

"Don't worry, I didn't use my powers to read your mind. I wouldn't do that, unless you naturally allowed me to do so. In fact, I deduced it from your sadness after mentioning how great my friends were. I guessed that you were probably thinking about **your** friends, and how you missed them… am I right ?"

The former H.I.V.E. student nodded.

"In fact, it's Mammoth I am missing. Gizmo was an authoritarian, merciless little brat, Billy Numerous was thick as thieves with him **(3)**, and See-More… It's not that he was behaving that bad with me, but he barely ever spoke to me. I don't know if he didn't want to, or didn't dare to for some personal reason, but he sure ignored me. But with Mammoth, I had a real, authentic friendship bond. We were off to a rough start, as I initially found him somewhat awkward, clumsy and lacking subtlety, but he made efforts, and we started to appreciate each other's company, respect each other and finally became best friends. I could tell him everything, and so could he. We were both confidents for the other. And now, I can't see him anymore… and I miss him…"

She saw a grey hand resting on her arm, gently squeezing it.

Feeling a heat wave wrap her face, she looked up, certain of being blushing, and looked the empath straight in her violet yes.

"My turn to be sorry for you, Jinx ! I do hope that you two will eventually come across each other someday and make sure that your friendly bonds remain strong. I would be sad myself if that didn't happen..."

Jinx forced herself to smile, ignoring the lump in her throat.

"Thanks, Rae !"

Her voice was slightly shaky, but she was determined not to cry. Because she was right in front of Raven, and because Raven was comforting her.

"No problem. I will always be there for my friends. And so, I will always be there for you."

The Dark Titan, who "didn't do smiles", was actually grinning, as she kept her squeeze on Jinx's arm.

_She will always be there for me… Raven will always be there for me… I can't believe my luck ! _

Those were most likely the sweetest, nicest words the former criminal had heard in months.

"Raven… I… I don't know what to say… I'm lost for words… but I can at least say : thank you ! From the bottom of my heart ! Thank you so much for your kindness !"

She thought that, given the heat her face was imprisoned in, she probably was reddening, and thus kept her face down. The pink irises remained stuck to the grey hand that was still clutching her arm.

The Azarathian smiled on.

"My pleasure, Jinx !"

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Evening had slowly crept in and Raven had been forced to say goodbye to Jinx. And, curiously enough, she had been a tad sad to do so. She really felt at ease with the pink-haired teenager, which had to be surprising if one came to think that the two were enemies in a not-so-distant past.

While she was floating in direction of the Tower, remembering how that day's moments with Jinx had been interesting, she suddenly got aware that the wind had redoubled in violence… and this in turn made her perceive how actually _**cold**_ it now was !

_It's getting fairly cold these days… Autumn will soon be there._

And she suddenly realized that she had forgotten to tell Jinx that, given the recent weather cooling, it was high time for her to look for a place to stay, like a guest house / boarding house, as she couldn't allow herself to remain out in a colder environment.

Once she was back into her room, Raven started meditating and only came out later for dinner.

Cyborg exposed one of his ideas for a new tracking device, Robin mentioned the need to make a general verification of their criminal files sometime in winter, and Starfire started to ask questions about Christmas, wondering what the team could do together.

Raven, being lost in thought, neither breathed out a word nor really paid attention to the various topics broached during that evening.

At one point, raising her eyes to look at her friends, the first gaze she met was Beast Boy's. The changeling had been staring at her, and when their looks met, he quickly took his eyes off her and pretended to look intently at Starfire, while she happily babbled on.

But the morpher wasn't exactly the most subtle and discrete of the team, and she later caught him twice more in the same attitude, observing her… and diverting his gaze to another teammate as she looked at him !

After the third of these caught-in-the-act moments, she decided enough was enough.

She took advantage of a silent pause in the discussions to make her move.

"Anything you want to ask me, Beast Boy ?" she deadpanned.

He swallowed with difficulty, coughing immediately afterwards.

"Well… uh… yeah… I was just wondering… you usually hardly ever leave your room, and lately, you've been going out to the city a few times… that's so unusual… I was wondering where you went…"

Raven remained stone-faced, stifling any emotion, but deep inside, she was slightly peeved : she had at first hoped that no one would be nosy enough to ask her about her sudden leaves, but she then had realized that there were at least two of her friends who might still try to find out. She had actually thought that Starfire would innocently ask about it… but it turned out to be BB "inquiring" about the Goth's absences !

_I so knew he or Star would ask… now, should I really lie ? I can say part of the truth. That's not lacking my friends respect._

"I went to see a friend of mine…" she calmly replied to him, informing the rest of the team at the same time.

"A friend ? You mean, a **new** friend ? Who is it ? Do we know that person ?" exclaimed the green teenager, not taking the time to breath as he added question after question.

Rae paused for a moment.

She didn't feel like disclosing Jinx's name for the time being.

"I may introduce her to you someday. I don't feel now's the time yet. I befriended her short ago and want to get to know her better before I actually bring her here."

The last part of the sentence didn't actually reflect Raven's intention, for the half-demon wasn't completely sure she would bring Jinx to the Tower. It depended if her friends would be okay to know that she had befriended a former enemy. She could always try to probe them about that, asking things in an indirect manner, not naming Jinx.

"Oh yes, please, friend Raven, introduce us your new friend !" squealed the Tamaranean.

The cloaked teen briefly smiled.

"A bit of patience won't hurt, will it ?" she teased her alien buddy.

"Guys, I think we should give Rae some space and respect her will. She will bring her friend once she's ready for it !"

Robin was the only one saying nothing. He was pondering about Raven's new friend… and notably about the fact that it was a female friend ! Like the others, he wondered about that mysterious girl's identity. And it turned out that the only girl he could think about was the one which had recently been unexpectedly positive to the Dark Titan : Jinx !

_Perhaps I'm just imagining things. Perhaps it's somebody else._

And yet…

…yet…

…he couldn't think of anybody else.

It could have just been a random person, sure. But, strangely enough, his thoughts always came back to Jinx eventually.

After all, would it be that far-fetched for two once foes to later become friends ? It WAS unusual, and certainly unlikely… but impossible ?

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Raven was back in her room.

She was reflecting on the evening's events, and about her claim that she once would introduce her new friend to them.

Could she really do that ?

Could she thus let them know that her former adversary was now… her friend ?

As a matter of fact, yes. She could. But under certain conditions.

In fact, under at least ONE condition : that she could be definitely certain that her teammates would accept the friendship now existing between Jinx and herself.

Which didn't exactly went without saying…

She then imagined Jinx lying under the bridge in the park, and shivering from cold as the wind blew.

An idea slowly surfaced in her mind.

Perhaps…

Perhaps she could find a way to solve two problems simultaneously : find a shelter for Jinx AND introduce her to her teammates as her new friend.

And the simplest way to do that would be…

Her mind focused intensely.

In the end, she recalled what she had told the lady in the park, when the latter had asked Jinx if she was part of the Teen Titans.

_Should I…should I do that ?_

She closed her eyes and lay absolutely motionless on her bed, pondering deeply.

It lasted that way for minutes.

But Raven eventually reopened her eyes, a determined look haunting her violet orbs.

She slowly rose from the bed and walked to her door.

She pricked up her ears while silently walking in the corridor.

Not a single noise.

Silence ruled the Tower.

The empath came to a halt in front of one of her friends' door and raised her fist.

_Will he be inside ? Or could he still be up, in the common room or in the technic room ?_

Only one way to find out.

And she did it.

She waited patiently after knocking.

The door finally opened and he looked at her.

"Can we have a conversation ? It's important and can't wait." she quickly phrased on the most serious tone.

He silently nodded and let her in, closing the door on the secret talk ensuing …

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**Author's Notes**** :**

"**Pink Sorceress" / "Violet Sorceress" : Well, why not use the girls' signature colours to nickname them that way ? Personally, I find it original. Hope ya like it.**

"**The Teen Titans are the best" : Well… aren't they, really ? Just thought I'd pay some of my fav's superheroes a modest tribute ! :D**

"**Billy Numerous was thick as thieves with him" : for those of ya who wouldn't know this expression, it means that Billy & Gizmo were getting along particularly well. And I naturally chose it as a lil' pun… given that Billy & Gizmo are… THIEVES !**

**Okay, that chappy is less long than the two previous ones. But hey, I can't always write 6'000 words or more, can I ? I've been writing a chapter of more than 10'000 words this year, for my first sTTory "8", but I can't do that many times a year… (Not sure I'll ever write that much for a chappy again, actually…)**

**The title refers to the crucial narrative process of this chapter : conversations. They are absolutely central to the chapter, and are extremely important as per their content. Even the elliptic dialog implied by the very end of the chappy is absolutely fundamental ! Words and their power, eh… they are dead powerful indeed, and need to be respected for that and handled with much care, as they can cause so much harm… as well as happiness !**

**Right, well I was able to publish this the following week after all, eh ! I feared I wouldn't but no, I eventually could ! So up to now, I still can manage the one-chapter-a-week thing. But "don't get used to it", as Rae said in THE END III, as one never knows when that regularity can briskly stop. I'll still do my best to try and maintain the pace. But my goal is to have a chappy out in at least a fortnight, so…**

**Many, many thanxxxx to all of ya readers, REVIEWERS, favoriters, followers. Yes, in THAT order ! Ya guys all make me a happy man, and my gratefulness is all yours !**

**I hope you're all doing fine, and till we next hear of each other, I wish ya all good, in all that ya undertake, in your health and mindset.**

**Bye for now, Folks ! Be fine ! :D**

**)))))))))))))))))))) The Valaisan ((((((((((((((((((((**


	8. Welcome !

**))))))) VII (((((((**

**)))) WeLcOmE ! ((((**

**))))))))))))) (((((((((((((**

**Hey Folks !**

**So, what this time ? I started this thing back on August 20****th****, and latest update was September 24****th**** (on my brother's 35****th**** birthday). Already a month in the work, really ? And six chapters out ? Waow, that's pretty nice ! But ya know what's nicer ? It's the story stats as regards readers' support ! **

**13 reviews… which means basically a nice average of 2 reviews per chapter (less than I hoped, but good enough, I'll say…)**

**12 favorites… which makes this fic' get ahead of my first sTTory, 8, which had 11 fav's.**

**22 followers… Waow, that's impressive : 8 had only 10 followers, so this fic' here already doubles the number of people following it ! Now that's impressive !**

**So, given these excellent results, which fast-track "RavInX" in first position of BOTH fav's ****AND**** foll's, right in front of my first TT fiction 8, I've got something to say :**

**THANXXXX A WONDERFUL LOT TO ALL READERS, REVIEWERS, FAVORITERS AND FOLLOWERS OF THIS STORY ! YOU REALLY MAKE MY DAYS, AND I'M WAY GRATEFUL TO YA FOR YR SUPPORT ! AND WAY INDEBTED, OF COURSE ! **

**Regarding today's specific thanxxxx, I'll give pats in the back to **_**skull1alpha**_**, **_**drgonlance36**__**, **__**scratchx**_** and **_**Zlrvs**_** for favoriting and/or following this fiction, and a special thanxxx to **_**Zlrvs**_** for also reviewing… although it's not, strictly speaking, a review… more like an info note, but it's still very much appreciated ! Another pat in the back also to **_**Crzyratlady**_** for reviewing, and my gratitude for yr support in my JinxXRaven pairing, as well as yr understanding my disliking the popular RavenXBeastBoy shipping. That means a lot, coz while many may glare at me for not liking that famous pairing, few may actually make the effort to agree to my "disliking right".**

**So, I hope ya enjoyed the little confiding moment bw Rae & Jinx ! As I've written, Rae finds herself curiously comfortable around Jinx, and moreover… quite rapidly, if we consider their first encounter in the café ! It's kinda strange to ya, maybe, but sometimes, one feels quickly comfy in presence of a new person. It CAN happen, every now and then, and one doesn't know get why. It's just like that. **

**Oh, and I take it ya guys guessed which of her teammate Rae went to see in the final part. It's not difficult to guess. As, perhaps, is not that difficult to guess what exactly she discussed wz him.**

**Let's now see if you were right about both the identity of Rae's interlocutor and their convo topic…**

**N'JOY !**

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Cyborg stifled a yawn as he walked along the corridor leading to the common room.

He had had a short night, and additionally hadn't slept that well during that limited period of time.

Behind him, he heard a loud yawn, and turned around only to see his green buddy pointedly stretching while he shut his previously wide open mouth.

"Yo, BB ! 'take it one didn't have a better night than mine ?"

" 'take it correct, Cy ! I would have overslept with pleasure, this morning…"

"Wonderful morning to you, Friends !"

Both looked behind them, at their happy-go-lucky alien partner, hovering above them.

"Hey, Star ! Back at you !" said Cy.

"What he said…" lazily replied the changeling.

The three superheroes finally entered the common room, not without the half-robotic teenager hiding another yawn behind his hand.

They saw Robin and Raven, already seated at the large table, and noticed that the two of them were talking with each other… but that the latter immediately stopped talking as the trio made its appearance, Robin turning his head to see them approach, while the Azarathian's eyes imperceptibly narrowed.

It may have seemed that Rae and Rob were willing to hide something from the rest of the gang.

A sharp observer could have noticed, if squinting their eyes, that the conversation between the empath and the leader had abruptly came to an end just when Raven had spotted the three newcomers… and, her eyes swiftly meeting Robin's for a second, she had whispered a few words that had made him keep suddenly quiet and turn around, the violet orbs quickly returning to the trio of friends, followed short after by the blue masked gaze of the leader.

Cyborg sensed something about their attitude, Beast Boy didn't seem daunted by it and Starfire actually did not look like she had noticed anything fishy.

They all greeted Rae and Rob and proceeded to sit at the table.

"So what's the matter ? You said it wasn't related to a villain's attack. Is it about a technologic matter ?" asked Cy.

That was typical Cyborg : being the "tech" guy of the team, he was prone to ask about technology-related topics first.

"No, it isn't" replied the Boy Wonder, shaking his head. "We actually want you to give us your opinion on an important decision we will have to make."

He made a short break, observing them all in the eye, which Raven did as well, analyzing their reactions.

"Dude, just get over with it ! That wait is killing us !" exclaimed Beast Boy, clearly the most impatient of the trio.

The leader took a deep breath and…

"Raven and me would like to propose to include a new member to the Teen Titans."

Puzzling took over on the three faces opposite, the six eyes goggling while mouths slightly opened, remaining ajar.

"Wh- What ?!" stuttered the changeling.

"A new member ?" asked the half-robot, echoing Robin's initial utterance.

"That was… unexpected…" whispered a perplexed Tamaranean.

They didn't say more, too baffled for the time being to find anything else to add.

The acrobat and the sorceress exchanged looks, but it was impossible to decipher exactly what feelings were coursing through their eyes. Then both resumed staring at their three friends.

"Well… That's a surprise, yes, but as for me, I'm not opposed to it." started Cyborg.

"I do not think I am opposed too" stated Starfire, putting a "too" where a "neither" should have been… yet that was just like her, being not yet fully accustomed to human language.

"I don't know. Depends on who it is…" BB answered for his part.

No outward manifestation of emotion on Raven's side, but within her, the half-demon couldn't help being somewhat annoyed.

_I knew someone would be hesitant… and for some reason, I just felt it would probably be __**him**__. And there he goes ! I just hope he won't be really averse to it… and same for Starfire and Cyborg !_

There was upset in her mind, but there also was a hint of worry.

"Hum… yes, it depends. Well, you have to know that the person we have on our mind is a former villain who turned her back on evil and decided to quit crime to try and become a better person. She is trying to redeem herself, so Raven and I, after long considerations, think that she would make a good new Titan. Raven has probed her soul to know if she is really sincere when she said she had abandoned her criminal thoughts, and it turns out she really did, and that she indeed **does** want to stop do bad, and instead try to improve and make amends. So we want your opinion on her admission among us."

That was a lot of info at a time, and moreover, some fundamental one. It needed time to sink in and trigger any decision.

"So it's a former female criminal, given your use of "her" and "she". Mmmmmh… who can it be ?" wondered the tech.

"I don't wanna guess. C'mon, tell us, Robin !"

The Boy Wonder turned to look at the Dark Titan and made a slow and deep nod.

She nodded back and turned her amethyst eyes back to the three ones eager to find out about the identity of the potential new team member.

"Jinx."

She had uttered it calmly, on the same deadpan voice she used to talk most of the time. No sign of emotion. Absolute control.

Or at least… apparently.

"Jinx ?" repeated the red-haired teen, goggling.

"Jinx ?" echoed Cyborg, eyes just as wide open.

"That girl wants to become a Titan ?" questioned the green boy on a clear tone of disbelief.

A few seconds of silence… during which Raven frowned at the changeling.

_That girl… __**That**__ girl…!_

It definitely sounded despising, obviously disrespectful, showing the really poor opinion Beast Boy had of Jinx. And while this could be understandable, given that said girl had been a foe of theirs for months and months, it still deeply annoyed the Azarathian, who had just befriended her fellow sorceress and wanted her to feel better in her life.

"Well… yes, she does…" started Robin, but was cut short by Rae, who put her hand over his arm and shook her head at him when he looked at her.

Then she turned to consider her friends, quickly taking a short breath in.

"She doesn't want to become a Titan, but she clearly wants to redeem herself, as Robin said, and I thought that the best way for her to do that would be to fight for Good, after fighting for Evil so much time. It makes sense, I think. And Robin and I really would like you to ponder it and give us an answer. Maybe not right now, but at latest tomorrow evening. That's two days of reflection. It should be enough for you to make up your mind."

"Alright, but tell me, Raven, are you definitely sure that she has turned her back on crime, as you said ? Can we really trust her ?" pertinently wondered the second-in-command.

That was a question the empath did expect. Someone just **had** to ask it. It was a central point indeed : the capacity to trust a former criminal. So Cyborg's reaction didn't upset her, unlike BB's one previously, when he had mentioned… "_**that**_ girl".

"We can. I have probed her emotions, her feelings and her soul. It all reflected her will to become a good person. So you can trust ME about Jinx's honesty. I am accountable for her sincere change."

"Oh, if you are sure about her, then I know it's all okay, and I say we accept her as a new member !" exclaimed a now enthusiastic Starfire.

Raven briefly flashed a smile.

_One is convinced. I knew it would be Star to agree first. She's always so nice to others. It will be more difficult with the boys._

Beast Boy had his hand holding his chin, one finger touching his lips, in the typical attitude of the "deep thinker".

"You said you probed her. Okay, but does that mean you can't be wrong ? No one is perfect, you know ?"

The female wizard tried to refrain from frowning or glaring at him. She knew that mistakes were commonplace in one's existence, but she didn't appreciate his questioning her empathic abilities. She knew she could completely rely on her sensitive powers to see clearly in one's intentions, even if one tried to hide these. She eventually would find out about the truth, each time. Such was her power, and whoever put it in doubt… risked to be welcomed pretty bad.

But she tried to keep her composure nevertheless.

"I know. But my powers have always proved reliable. Always. No one was ever able to trick me and hide their true feelings from me, and later abuse me. It didn't happen up to now, and there is no reason for this time being different."

"Have you forgotten about Malchior ?" he dropped, arms crossed, a slight frown on.

She almost flinched in her chair.

And the psychological hurt instantly harmed her heart and mind.

Of course not. She had not forgotten. How could she ever let oblivion swallow the greatest suffering of her whole life ? Feeling love for the first time ever, and being so cruelly rejected and mocked afterwards… being toyed around, her emotions being insulted… no, there was no way that horrible experience would ever erase from her memory.

And what hurt her was not only the reviving of an old yet still painful wound, which had left a large scar in her being, it wasn't only the recalling of her being used and disposed of later on… but it was also the tone on which Beast Boy had uttered it, and his severe attitude, arms crossed, a frown on his forehead as he stared almost mercilessly at her.

Her violet eyes briefly left the green ones opposites, drifted off for a moment, then shutting briefly, as she tried to keep her emoticlones in check, and not let Rage take the best of her.

_Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos… Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…_

She inhaled and exhaled deeply through her nose, then reopened her eyes and looked down, pondering her reply.

She first thought of making it rough, snapping at him : "What do you think, Beast Boy ? Do you think I've forgotten ? Tell me, seriously, do you ?" Or perhaps that way : "How could you seriously think something that horrible could ever leave my memory ?!"

She thought of saying it on the sharpest, coldest tone ever, to show him how angry at him she was for having been asked if she had **forgotten **about the creature who had hurt her the most !

But then it occurred to her that lashing out at him wouldn't help anything… and certainly wouldn't get him to accept Jinx in the team. Even on the contrary.

So she raised her head, looked at the changeling square in the eye and spoke calmly, doing her utmost to keep things under control, no matter what.

"I haven't forgotten, Beast Boy. I never will. But regarding Malchior, I haven't been tricked by him despite probing his soul : I have been tricked _**because**_ I had _**not**___probed his soul ! I should have kept alert and read his mind to make sure he was sincere to me. I didn't, because I had been bewitched by him and lowered my guard… I trusted him, and regretted it bitterly afterwards. So I made one of my greatest mistakes for NOT having used my powers to search his mind, feelings, emotions. His soul. That's what made me decide that, from now on, I would always probe people whom I would feel getting closer to."

Raven made a short break, and it was enough for the shapeshifter to try and get a word in edgeways, but she raised her hand with authority, indicating she was about to pursue, and therefore he just had to keep silent some more.

"I will let you say what you want to in a moment, but first, I need to conclude on mindreading. I **did** read Jinx's mind, I did analyze her thoughts and her feelings. After all, she was a criminal not so long ago, so I decently couldn't take any risks. But after carefully sounding out her depths, I found out that she was indeed honest, and sincerely wanted to change her condition, turn the page and begin a "new life". Restart from scratch, keep away from evil and try to live normally. And even do good around her if she could. All this was within her, I could definitely sense it while I analyzed her thoughts and desires. Jinx wants to become a positive person, I can ensure it to you all (she looked at the others quickly before resuming her stare at the green boy), and therefore all I ask from you is to give her a chance with us."

There was a long silence after this crucial speech of hers. Minds were evidently processing the info, reflecting on the facts, considering the possibilities. It was serious business : after all, it was the first time since Terra that the five superheroes envisaged accepting a new member in their team. It hadn't work the first time, with the girl commanding to rocks, and this was their second occasion. The aborted previous attempt hadn't left their memories, and they knew that introducing a brand new element in a "well-oiled machine" was a delicate operation. And a tricky choice to make in the first place.

Finally, someone ended up saying something.

"I trust Raven. If she says she read Jinx's mind carefully and found it sincere, then it has to be true. The girl must have changed somehow. And if she is willing to lead an honest life, then I see no reason to refuse her a place in our gang. After all, the more we are, the more efficient we will become. I vote yes."

That was already two teammates convinced out of three. Better and better.

There remained only Beast Boy to convince. That was the real challenge. His negative prejudices had been getting in the way, but she hoped that her wise, convincing speech had managed to make him think enough to reconsider his position.

The changeling saw that his four friends were now staring at him, hanging onto his every word, waiting for him to make up his mind at last.

His green eyes took a good look at each in turn, ending on Raven and lingering on her, as he kept weighing the pros and cons, not sure what to choose.

"Come on, BB ! We've all chosen ! It's your turn, Man !" yelled Cyborg, getting somewhat impatient.

The morpher glanced at him.

"Hey ! She said we could decide until tomorrow evening, if I recall correctly…"

He briefly eyed the Azarathian to have confirmation of it.

"Yes, it's true. I said you could take two days to think it over, and I maintain it. So, if you want to have more time than the others, fine with me."

Her voice showed absolutely no trace of any emotion. It was the same monotonous voice she used daily. Perfect emotional control… or at least, that's how it appeared.

BB hesitated.

He knew he could benefit from much more time than his friends to make his decision, but at the same time, he felt a tad stupid to delay his answer when everyone else had already replied… and actually agreed to the proposal.

"Okay, then we will meet again for the final decision tomorrow evening." Robin informed the team. "You can proceed to your daily activities."

Raven, still thoughtful, quickly cast a look at the shapeshifter.

_Who knows, maybe he may end up saying YES…_

She looked away and got up, as the others started to move as well.

"Wait !"

The foursome faced their green member, who had the most serious expression on his features.

"I think I can answer now."

"Are you sure ?" asked Rob, visibly confused. "Don't you want more time, to be completely certain of your choice ?"

Beast Boy caught his eye.

"No, I don't. I have made up my mind."

He then turned to the half-demon, who observed him carefully.

She tried to remain emotionless, but in her ribcage, the "pumping organ" had increased the speed of his beats…

_What did he choose ? Will he decide to trust me… or not ?_

The boy with the purple outfit gave a long sigh.

"Okay, Raven. Let's give it a try. If you're so self-confident after looking into her soul, it must mean something. So yeah, we'll take her in, but she better follow the instructions and behave good !"

His tone seemed halfway between seriousness and humor, although there appeared to be no reason for him to joke or react lightly right this moment.

The empath felt tension suddenly leave her being. She relaxed, her whole body losing its stiffness, and as incredible as it was… she even gave a small smile to the green teenager !

"Thank you very much, Beast Boy !"

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

A mountain scattered with olive trees.

Antique Greek temples disseminated here and there.

Such was the domain of the grey-skinned female clad in a yellow cloak.

For once, said female was not reading a book or consulting an ancient document of some sort. She was simply sitting crisscross applesauce on a bare rock, eyes closed behind her glasses, arms and legs hidden beneath the yellow fabric falling in loose pleats over her body.

The quiet meditating girl was waiting.

And the purpose of her waiting suddenly showed up in the sky and closed in, lowering gradually to the motionless figure.

A few seconds later, several cloaked teenage lookalikes landed in front of the rock where the owner of the domain was focusing her inner energy.

The only distinctive element that helped making the difference between the identical maidens were the colors of the cloaks they wore : pink, grey, green, orange, purple, red and brown.

The yellow-dressed female opened her eyes and gave a circular look at all her sisters, standing in front of her and waiting for her to speak. She was the wisest of all of Raven's emotions, and thus had the emoticlones chosen her as their leader, even if she had told all of them that she wasn't, despite her numerous shrewd advices and pertinent analyses.

"Welcome, sisters. Please have seats." greeted Knowledge, making a brief gesture in the shape of an arc of a circle, in their direction.

From the ground raised seven large smooth rocks that offered the group of maidens comfortable spots to sit on. Most of them sat, two of them – Brave and Rage – merely leaned against them, arms crossed.

"So, Knowledge, what's up… apart from the sky ?" joked Happy, giggling.

"You're a really lame joker…" commented Rude.

"Agreed !" admitted Rage in a deep, dark voice that betrayed the demonic part of Raven.

There was a short pause, during which all previous speakers turned back to the wise emoticlone, waiting for her information.

"I have asked you to come to have a word about Jinx. I would like you to tell me, each in turn, what you think of her, how you feel about her. I'm interested in your opinions, and I'll tell you mine eventually."

She got quiet and glanced at all her siblings, each in turn.

"So… who wants to start ?" asked the discreet Timid, certainly not willing to do it herself.

"Nope…" replied Sloth, loudly yawning behind her hand.

"Well…" trailed Love.

"Okay, I'll go first !" volunteered Brave.

A few seconds, during which the courageous one gathered her thoughts, and…

"She's a pretty daring girl, even if she recently has become more cautious and emotional… but I'm sure she'll eventually return to her original self and show courage, and maybe even recklessness. And I like that in her ! So, as for me, I'm pleased that Master has her as friend !" **(1)**

A brief silence, during which the others reflected on the words of the Green Cloak.

"Thank you for your opinion, Brave. I must say that, even if I'm known for being a thoughtful emotion, I appreciate that daring side of Jinx. It gives her a pretty tenacious character, and I'm not indifferent to that. And now, who wants to go on and express her own point of view ?" uttered Knowledge.

"I'm next !" yelled Happy.

The emoticlone with glasses motioned for her effusive sister to continue.

"Well, I like her. She's pretty cool. I mean, look at those pink hair, and which have such a cool shape ! And those platform shoes, way fun ! And these vertical pupils, like cats, that's soooo original ! Oh, and she's got grey skin, like us, which is great, and she's a sorceress as well, which makes her like a sister to Master, and therefore to us. And-"

"Stop rambling stupidly and telling us such nonsensical stuff !" Rage rebuked the extravert emotion.

The addressee crossed her arms and stuck he tongue out at the most threatening of all emoticlones, whose four crimson eyes, in reaction, narrowed dangerously, while the gritted teeth still let out the menacing sound of a growl…

The wisest sister felt it coming and, understanding the urge to act fast in order to avoid things to degenerate, raised her hand.

"Alright, alright, let's try to remain reasonable and respectful, yes ?"

She looked intently at the pink- and red-dressed girls, and while Happy shrugged, Rage loudly snorted and cast a last frightening glare at the exuberant one before looking back at Knowledge.

The latter let her stare linger on the frowning demonic emotion, and finally turned to Happy.

"Hum, thanks for your… extremely enthusiastic opinion on Jinx ! It speaks by itself. You focused on the external aspect of Jinx, and didn't say anything about her personality, her nature… but that's okay. The main point is that you like her. Who's third to speak ?"

"I will" said a soft voice.

All turned to the Purple Cloak.

"She's really nice. She has become so sweet… It's a most welcome change ! I'm happy that she did soften. Also, I appreciate all her kind attentions to Master. Jinx has definitely become more loveable, and I enjoy her change. Plus she's quite lovely, and pleasing to look at, so if she's both sweet on the inside **and** on the outside, what more can I ask for ?"

Knowledge let a smile wander on her lips.

"I'm delighted to hear you like her as a whole, Love. That's nice. And her personality change, although unsettling at first, still is indeed more than welcome. I just hope that some of her cockiness will return over time. Good. I'm curious to hear what the others have to say…"

The learned female let her calm look slip on the other emotions.

"Mmmmmh, I must say I definitely enjoyed her insolence, her self-confidence in provoking and making fun of the others. I miss that side of her. It's not as fun, now that she's all emotional and doubtful. Sure, the girl's still kinda cool, but not as freaking cool as she used to be ! But hell if some of her cheekiness doesn't return someday ! I'd dig to hear her make fun of BB or putting Robin in his place ! That'd be cool beans !" explained the Orange Cloak.

Happy could be heard bursting out laughing in the background.

Knowledge cleared her throat.

"Hum, thanks for this… picturesque way of talking about Jinx, Rude. It's quite unusual, but you're not exactly the typical usual emotion, right ? I understand you preferred the previous nature of Jinx, her daring, provocative attitude. That doesn't surprise me, coming from you. But while her current personality also holds its own charm, it's quite possible that she will come back to part of her old self, at some point. Although it's by no means certain."

She got silent and observed the three who hadn't opened up their hearts yet.

"Sloth ? I know you're not fond of talking, and that your speeches are really succinct when you do, but I would be grateful to you if you could say a little something about Jinx…"

The sloppiest of all emoticlones scratched the back of her head before hiding her yawn behind her hand.

"Okay, Okay, Kno', I'm gonna say a lil' something then. Mmmmmh… Well, I like Jinx. She's touching. Sweet. She shares several common points with Master. She even helped rescuing a robbed woman. So she's all good in my book. Period."

The officious leader of the emotions snorted.

"That wasn't much… but at least, that was positive. I'm appreciative of your taking time to drop a few words about Jinx. We're almost done."

Her glasses turned towards Rage, then towards Timid, the second one being as far away from the first one as could be.

There was a short silent break, then…

"Right, I guess I'll go for it, like that Timid can be the very last one to speak… just like she wants !" gibed the deep demonic voice. "I say Master should remain cautious, because one never knows if Jinx will do good in the future. I know Master read her mind and analyzed her emotions, so I'm not questioning Jinx's sincerity, but what I'm talking about is her fitting well in the Titans' team, since she is to become part of it. We're not sure she'll succeed as a Titan, and therefore it's too early to claim victory. But that doesn't prevent her from trying her best. We'll see what comes out of it."

Silence, again.

For once, someone had dared to express a less positive opinion about the other sorceress. And it naturally had to be the least positive of all emoticlones uttering it…

"I get your point, Rage. You are not convinced that Jinx will make a good Titan, that she will blend harmoniously to the team. That's understandable, and after all, nobody knows if she will. We must indeed wait and see what happens. So while some here may be upset that you are not speaking positively of Jinx, I have to admit that you are not incorrect in your opinion. But time will tell if you will be right… or wrong."

This time, Knowledge, after finishing her speech, didn't need to turn her head around to look at all her sisters for the next one to speak : she just had to stare at Timid, the last emotion to talk.

The Grey Cloak gulped, knowing that this time, there was no loophole : she **had** to speak.

"I… I think Jinx is a nice girl… that she really is sweet… and I hope she remains that way… instead of becoming provocative or… or daring again. I… I prefer her that way… the current one… and I don't know if she… if she will be a good Titan… but I hope so… and I don't know either if she will remain good or not… but that also, I hope for… I wish she would stay on the good side… with Master… with us…"

Knowledge smiled benevolently.

"Thank you for your opinion, Timid. I'm glad you accepted to share it with us all. I know that you have several doubts, but also several hopes related to them. And I do wish that your hopes all become reality, and that you don't have to face disappointment. But I would like you to be confident, and to believe in Jinx. Try to think in a more secure, more positive way."

The shy female nodded quickly, and a brief smile stretched her lips for a few seconds only.

"Well, we're done with it. Thank you all for agreeing to expose your points of view regarding Jinx. It was very interesting and enlightening, and I appreciated each of your feedbacks, even yours, Rage."

The one mentioned didn't seem to react, but instead, she took the floor.

"Thanks, Knowledge. But there is still someone who has to give her opinion…"

The four red eyes were glued to the two violet ones hidden behind their glasses.

"You're correct, Rage. I made everybody talk, but didn't talk myself. Fair enough I do too. So I sense that Jinx has changed for the best. We are still growing accustomed to her new, different personality, fragile and emotional, and although some of you regret her old self, I can tell that her switch to a softer, more sensitive nature is for the best. It's as if she had matured. I definitely appreciate her change, as do I appreciate her kindness and sincerity to Master. I'm convinced she will be a very good, very valuable friend, and somehow, I have the inkling that she will do good as a Titan as well. I have a way positive feeling about Jinx, and I'm really pleased that she and Master did befriend !"

"Wise words !" praised Love.

"As always !" complimented Brave.

"You're the best, sis' !" flattered Happy.

"I won't contradict Happy !" remarked Rude.

"Same here !" dropped Sloth.

"Thank you for your confidence !" whispered Timid.

"I respect your wisdom, as usual !" concluded Rage.

"My gratitude to you all for your kindness and respect, dear sisters !" said Knowledge. "Thank you very much for coming and sharing your perspectives. I let you know return to your respective domains, and see with me how things will evolve. But I'm certain they will go well."

The seven other maidens took their leave from their officious leader and floated away from her, back to their own lands.

Soon, the yellow-clad emotion was alone again on top of her rock.

_I'm really glad that Robin, Cyborg, Starfire and even Beast Boy gave Jinx a chance. And that my sisters are so positive and hopeful about her. We will see if she remains on the right path and become an efficient superhero… but then again, why wouldn't she ?_

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Jinx was walking through the park at sunset.

Dusk was on its way… and Raven had not shown up that day.

The Pink Sorceress had felt very bad since the afternoon, as time slowly unraveled, hours stretching indefinitely as the waiting seemed hopelessly endless.

But she had resisted tears. That, she had managed. Despite her cruelly missing the Violet Sorceress, feeling always more and more in need of the empath, she had fought back the tiny hot streams.

Yet she really felt something ache inside, in the upper left corner of her chest. And there seemed to be some kind of knot within her stomach. A painful one.

_Why didn't she come ? Did she and her friends have too many foes to fight today ? Or was there something else ? Oh, Raven, where are you…?_

The more she saw the demonic human, the more addicted to her she became. There was no way she could accept to spend a single day without her. She felt so good with her, so happy. So liked. And hoped to be so **loved** one day…

She turned right and stepped onto the lawn, in direction of the spot where the bridge was.

Her pink eyes sadly stared at the luminous portion of the sky, far way in the distance, where the sun had sunken. It was so beautiful. Sure enough there were couples that had admired the sunset, and some were possibly still staring at the splendid sight of the orange sky, over there, on the horizon.

Some couples who were so happy in each other's arms…

While she was walking alone, in the now cold air, wind blowing around her and giving her no rest, forcing her to keep her arms tightly held around her chest, to keep herself as warm as possible.

The hex girl finally torn her gaze away from the magnificent evening sky and turned it to the right, where she knew the bridge was.

She squinted her eyes, as she saw some figure over there, sitting on a rock by the bridge.

Then she goggled and stopped, feeling her heart suddenly overflow with joy.

The next second, she was running the last few yards to her "home", eager to be there yet.

The dark silhouette rose from her rock and a smile stretched the grey lips of the newcomer.

Jinx had to force herself to stop her impetus, as she was about to throw herself at the cloaked female, and she therefore abruptly stopped right in front of the Dark Titan, making sure she left enough room between the two and thus didn't invade Rae's private space.

"Good evening, Jinx !" the empath said in her monotone, but with a touch of warmth in it nevertheless, and with a small smile on.

"Good evening, Raven…I mean, Rae ! Oh gosh, I thought you were not coming today ! I was so sad, and felt so bad ! I know it sounds stupid, and that I may seem childish, but I -"

She had interrupted as Raven had quickly put her hand on the other's shoulder, while shaking her head.

"Jinx, it is absolutely not childish or stupid. Absolutely not ! I understand you completely, better than you think. You're lonely now, without Mammoth, and have no friends to relate to, so it's but normal that you would cherish the one friend that you made since your leaving your team. So don't blame yourself for being sad and feeling really down today, for you fully have the right to be. And I ask you to please forgive me for my absence : we had an important meeting this morning, and as a result, we had a lot to do at the Tower, until this afternoon. Many things to take care of, a room to prepare, some devices to gather, Titan data to set up. And then, we had to deal with Mother Mae Eye, in the second half of the afternoon, so I alas couldn't be here earlier. I'm really sorry about this."

Jinx's grin widened.

"Since you're here, it's all forgotten. Don't apologize, I understand. But it sounds like you really had a lot to do at your tower, today…"

"Oh yes, we had, believe me ! But it's logical, since we are to welcome a new Titan in our group. It's only the second time we do, and it takes a lot to get everything ready in our premises in order to properly welcome that new team member !"

The wearer of the bad luck charm showed her surprise.

"You are to have a new teammate ? Well, yes, it mustn't happen often indeed. I get why you all were busy. That person is pretty lucky to have been accepted among the Titans, by the way."

Raven's smile grew bigger.

"Pretty lucky indeed. Oh, and before I forget : I have something to give you. A little present."

_Rae has a present for me ? I… I can't believe it !_

"Here !"

On the palm of the Goth's open hand was a round yellow device that resembled a compact, except that, on the side, there were two buttons, one red, one yellow. And on the top was a large white "T".

"What is this ?" asked the horned sorceress.

"We call it T-communicator, which is short for Titan communicator…" replied the chakra Titan, waiting for her friend's reaction.

"Oh, so that's why you guys use to communicate with each other ? But why are you giving i-"

Reflecting as she spoke, she had understood prior to completing her sentence.

"You're handing it to me… because you want me to be part of the Titans ?!" The smile opposite only grew bigger. "Wait… that new Titan you were mentioning before, and for whom you've been preparing so many things today… it's… it's ME ?"

Arella's daughter slowly nodded, enjoying the bewilderment of her fellow sorceress.

And again, she lay her hand on her new teammate's shoulder.

"Welcome to the Teen Titans, Jinx !"

The convert's eyes opened wide, as did her mouth. **(2)**

"Raven… I… I… don't know what to say… it's… so unexpected… how… how did it happen ? Did you… ask your friends to recruit me ?"

"Mmmmhmmmm. And I'm really happy they accepted. I told them I knew you were sincere in your desire to become a better person and turn your back on crime. They were hesitant at first, but eventually, all ended up agreeing. And therefore, here is already your T-communicator. You will receive other material at the Tower… to which we will now depart for, if you're ready."

It was wonder after wonder for the once bad girl.

"We're… we're going to the Tower ? Right now ?"

She just couldn't believe everything that was occurring all of a sudden. It just went too fast for her : one moment, she was walking sadly on her own about the park, the next one, she had the surprise to see waiting Rae waiting for her and announcing her that she was now a Teen Titan and was invited at the Tower that very evening ! The Wheel of Fortune had been turning all too rapidly for her to fully realize what was happening to her.

"Right now. Ready for take-off ?"

"Y-Yeah… ready !"

She grinned wide, whipping away the gathering liquid from her eyes, and being too moved to find the right words, but knowing she would, later that evening.

Life had suddenly become wonderful, a bit like in those fairy tales where supernatural, fantastic events took place without warning, transforming the harsh reality into a dream come true.

The half-demon stretched both arms down and focused her energy.

A black disc appeared, on which at least two persons could take place.

"After you, Jinx !"

The empath motioned to the disc, for her now teammate to step onto it.

Jinx cautiously made her way up and, once standing there, stared down at the disc.

Raven joined her and raised her right hand, then made a quick lifting sign.

The disc obediently lifted and, once it was high enough, the Violet Sorceress pointed at the Tower, then put her arm back down, and the magical "vehicle" gathered a moderate speed to float in direction of the T-shaped building overlooking Jump City's bay.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Raven preceded Jinx in the hall leading to the common room.

"Rae… I wanted to thank you so very much for your incredible kindness and generosity ! I honestly didn't expect you to do so much for me in so little time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Rae !"

The violet-haired girl turned around, a smile on her grey lips.

"With pleasure, Jinx ! And here is the common room ! Ready ?"

The hex fighter took a deep breathe.

"Ready !"

The doors opened… and there they were ! Robin, Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy, standing in the middle of the room. Up above their heads hung a banner on which was written WELCOME ! And on the side was a buffet with various foods, cooked by Cyborg and Starfire – the alien had insisted on cooking something from her home planet... – with also some tofu for Beast Boy… and possibly for Jinx as well, should she wish to give it a try.

"Jinx, we welcome you as new member of the Teen Titans !" Robin greeted her.

"A pleasure to have you with us !" loudly exclaimed Cy.

"We do rejoice for the acceptance of a new fighting companion !" said Star in her own weird language fashion.

"Welcome on board !" concluded BB.

The cat-eyed sorceress looked at each in turn, and she just couldn't hold it anymore.

Tears started slowly flowing from her eyes, and she hurried to wipe them, although it was useless : they returned short after.

"Sorry, I… I haven't been moved like that in a long time ! I'm really lost for words. You accepted me, a former criminal who used to battle you, in your group ! I just can't believe it ! I'd almost think I'm dreaming… but if I am, I pray to never wake up !"

"Well, the one who deserves all the thanks and praise is Raven" clarified the Boy Wonder. "She told us she had felt that you were sincere, and could ensure us that you were honestly willing to become a positive person. So we decided to trust you and agree to your joining the team. We hope you will like it here, and that you'll be pleased with your new job : catching the troublemakers, after being one of them !"

"Yeah, Raven is really the one to thank. She obviously cares for you." Cyborg spoke up.

_She… cares for me…_

The pink irises turned towards the violet ones.

"Yes, I know. She is a wonderful friend. I never hoped I could get such an amazing person as her to befriend me. She has been… incredible !"

Raven's mouth arched more, as she heard the compliments directed at her.

"No problem, really. You deserved it, after enduring that much from your ex-teammates. I'm glad you decided to do good, Jinx !"

The two female wizards stared at each other for seconds, no one uttering anything.

Until BB broke it : "So, how about we go for the buffet ? I'm starving !"

"You heard the boss… !" said Cyborg on such a funny tone that all of them either smiled or laughed.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

It was late in the evening as the Violet Sorceress accompanied the Pink one to her room, which was in the corridor right behind Raven's own room.

The empath switched the light on and Jinx could see the place where she was going to sleep that night, and the following ones.

Finally, after all those evenings spent outside, under that bridge, she had a new home again !

She just couldn't believe her luck… her who embodied bad luck !

"Here is your room, Jinx. There is not much furniture in it, but we can still buy some later on" Raven droned on.

There indeed was only a bed, a cupboard and a table with chair in the medium-size room, which thus appeared pretty bare.

"I don't mind, really. I'm all too happy to be with you…"said Jinx. Then she realized that the last words might give away the feelings she had for the cloaked teen, so she hurriedly added : "To be… to be with you all, Teen Titans ! It's… It's a pleasure to be with you guys !" She gulped, realizing her face had heated up, and cursed herself as she knew she was most certainly blushing… right in front of her beloved ! "And… and therefore, I'm not going to complain regarding my room. It's the last thing on my mind."

She let out a long sigh, but as discreetly as possible.

"I'm glad to hear you're okay with your room. But as I said, we'll buy more stuff soon, so that it's more comfortable for you."

The hex female was so touched by Raven's kindness. She hadn't suspected that the gothic Titan could be as nice as that, as she had always imagined that the superheroine was pretty harsh, pithy and cold in her manners. But she was actually far different, under the creepy impression she gave at first sight.

"Rae… I definitely owe you a lot. For if I've got new friends, a new team, a new home, and find myself happy again, it's all thanks to you. You have been… incredible sweet to me, incredibly supportive and helpful. I will never forget it." She bit her lip, and the empath, who was to reply, noticed it and understood her magical fellow wasn't finished yet. "Rae… do you mind if I..." She gulped. "…if I give you a hug… just a brief hug, as a sign of gratitude ? Is it… okay with you ?"

The demonic human understood the spontaneous request of the other grey-skinned female, and why it was important for her, but she nevertheless hesitated for a bit. She "didn't do hugs", as she used to point out, and the last person she had hugged was Robin, after Trigon's defeat, in order to show the Boy Wonder her gratefulness.

But after a short moment of indecision, the smile returned on the thin lips of the Goth.

"I'm not that much into hugging because, as I had told you, I must restrain my emotions. And a physical contact would automatically trigger some emotion, that's why I tend to avoid that. But I guess I can make an exception, just for you. I'll just need to remain focused on my self-control, to shun any possible unwelcome energy outburst, which tends to happen when I'm emotionally challenged. So yes, if you want to hug, I agree."

"Thanks !" replied a beaming Jinx.

The Pink sorceress closed in and wrapped her arms around the Violet sorceress, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Thank you so very much for everything, Rae !"

"My pleasure, Jinx !"

The empath suddenly felt a huge emotional wave overwhelm her. It wasn't hers, but her new friend's. Very sweet emotion, it was, and Raven, given the context, assumed it was the sheer expression of Jinx's happiness and gratitude. So she just went on with that impression, and didn't actually try to decipher that overwhelming emotion. But should she have…

The former bad girl prolonged the hug, enjoying the wonderful feeling.

She inhaled discreetly.

_She has a nice, natural smell. Gosh, I can't believe she actually let me hug her !_

Raven, as for her, returned the embrace, enjoying the impressive emotional display of her new teammate.

_She's really blissful, I can sense it, and I'm definitely content with that. Welcome, Jinx !_

For the horned wizard, that short moment seemed to last an eternity, and it was only reluctantly that she pulled apart.

"Thanks again for allowing me to hug you ! I appreciate you making an exception for me !"

"Sure. It was nice, by the way."

The Azarathian had meant it in a purely friendly way, but for a second, Jinx wondered if she implied… something else.

Yet she soon shook off the doubt, and admitted that the word "nice", used by Raven, had to refer only to a friendly behaviour. Nothing more.

"I wish you a good first night in the Tower" softly said the Dark Titan.

"Thanks, you too. And again, thank you, thank you to no end !" answered the cat-eyed witch.

"You're welcome." concluded the cloaked female.

And as the latter smiled one last time to Jinx, then slowly walked away, her cloak moving elegantly around her, the once cursed girl smiled dreamily, watching the half-demon leave with eyes full of hope…

She had just been granted a hug by the girl she loved… how wonderful was that ?!

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**Author's Notes**** :**

**Master : it is the word the emoticlones use when talking about Raven. It shows the deep respect they have for her. I had already introduced this way of revering her in my first sTTory, 8.**

**Convert : I've found out in my bilingual online dictionary, Word Reference, that "convert" is a word that can be used to refer to someone who is back into the right path, i.e. honesty and legality's path. It's someone who wants to lead a normal life, respectful of the laws and rules. And that's what Jinx has become.**

**Waow, did I REALLY write over 8'000 words ? REALLY ? Man, what happened ? O.O**

**Ya know, I found a word that suits this story : "yuri". I just learned it refers to a genre involving lesbian relationships, either on the sentimental or on the sexual level… or even on both at the same time ! Obviously, this story will be a strictly sentimental yuri, as I'm not interested in the sexual aspect.**

**So, Jinx is finally accepted by the Titans, and becomes one of them, thanks to Raven, who has been so generous and supportive to her. But then again, why would the others refuse the once bad girl in their gang if they understand she sincerely wants to become a good person ? If she's willing to make amends, why couldn't she be accepted among the superheroes ?**

**And that final hug… I don't know for ya, but as for me, who is not too much into sentimentalism/sentimentality, I nevertheless found it pretty touching, sweet as can be.**

**I hope that this story will continue drawing readers' attention, and even if fav'/foll'/rev' (favoriting/following/reviewing) have slowed down since 10 to 14 days, I'm confident people will still show their interest, here and there.**

**But I'm still astounded at how much success this fic' gained in just one month. Never had so much positive reactions in so lil' time… Thanxxxx again, all of ya ! Ya really make me a happy man !**

**Right, I'll be wishing ya all da best, and much success wz yr own stories, and yr studies, and health, and mood, and yadda yadda yadda ! XD**

**Till, hopefully, soon !**

**Take care, Pals !**

**Peace, Love, Ecstasy !**

**)))))))))))))))) The Gold Bug (((((((((((((((**


	9. A mission, E motions

**)))))))) VIII ((((((((**

**)))) A mIsSiOn, EmOtIoNs ((((**

**)))))))))))))))))))))))) (((((((((((((((((((((((((**

**Howdy, You all !**

**Hope you're doing fine, dear readers, and that you're ready for another chappy. But I bet you are, eh eh !**

**So here goes with gratitude :**

**1- Thanxxxx to the maxxxx to **_**IcyKixz236**_** (a.k.a. ICY) and **_**Crzyratlady**_** (a.k.a. LADY) for honoring me of another feedback, and pleased to hear ya both like the emoticlones part. You guys are so supportive of this fic', with respectively 5 and 3 reviews already… I'm really honored by such attention from ya two ! I also am from other reviewers too, but I must say I particularly enjoyed yr feedbacks, ICY and LADY ! (if ya don't mind me nicknaming ya that… ;D)**

**2- Thanxxxx a bunch to **_**Piano-Man-Reajinx**_** (I like yr alias btw… but shouldn't it rather be "Raejinx" at the end, iso "Reajinx" ?) for both following AND favoriting ! It's one of the greatest honours, along with reviews, so my gratitude is huge to ya !**

**3- Thanxxxx to **_**MelonLadyofNinjaTrolls**_** (WTF is that for a penname, LOL ? ;D), **_**Justinmcrane**_**, **_**Rikuseroth**___**for following, I appreciate !**

**Just one thing : too bad the people in 1- and 2- didn't leave a review, additionally to foll' / fav' the story. That would have been even cooler ! Maybe next time…?**

**Now, I'm actually fond of the emoticlones, hence my choosing them as protagonists for "8". These embodied emotions really fascinate me, and I just regretted that, in the original show, you saw them only in NEVERMORE (except for Rage, whom we see again in AFTERSHOCK and THE END PART 1, haunting Raven's body). They could definitely have written a script just for them, based on their action on Raven, or on their somehow escaping Rae's body (just like was the case in the comics, with that episode called PIECES OF ME).**

**So yeah, for those of ya who would like to read a story where the emoticlones have a prominent role to play, I invite ya to read my first sTTory, "8". I have an inkling ya really may like it… ;)**

**Right, and now ? Now, please meet…**

**Angie Oy ! (so much for lame puns… ****XD)**

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

She opened her eyes, turned her head to look in direction of the curtains, through which daylight was already passing…

…and frowned.

She didn't recognize her surroundings, as she remembered she didn't have any curtains, and therefore window, in her room.

And then her memory clicked, and she knew where she was.

Titans' Tower. Or simply : the Tower. Home of her former enemies, who quite unexpectedly had become her… friends (talking about paradoxes…!) .

It was the first night she spent in this new environment, and therefore, being not used to it yet, she had thought she still was in her ancient room, back at H.I.V.E. Five headquarters. And given that this old room had no windows, she had been really confused upon spotting the curtains, and the daylight behind them, shortly after waking up.

But she no longer was at the H.I.V.E. : she now was a Teen Titan, and as such, lived in the Titans' Tower, that prestigious building housing the famous superheroes whom the citizens and police force praised. Thus, switching from criminal to heroine, she was on the way to garnering more respect from people, and be ultimately treated on a par with her now fellow Titans.

Jinx copiously stretched and remained there, in her brand new bed, eyes closed, smiling gently as she thought of the twist of her situation.

She had left her former team and spent nights outside, in a cooling down environment (autumn was creeping up, day after day), and might have even risked being harshly handled by macho pigs…

And now, she was in one of the safest places of the city, in company of admired righters of wrongs who had agreed to take her in their prestigious gang… and in company of her beloved !

Could life get easier and sweeter ?

She got up and quickly dressed, then silently left her room.

The Tower was completely silent.

She followed the corridor to the common room, where her new friends had welcomed her the previous evening.

The doors opened and she stepped in.

It was empty.

A silent and empty building… there was something actually worrying about that… **(1)**

But then her pink irises wandered to the large picture window and she realized that the light coming in was… rather weak, rather low.

_Perhaps it's only early morning, that's why it's somewhat dark and nobody is up._

That or they had all left the Tower… but why on Earth would they leave her here on her own ?

Jinx walked to the kitchen, seeking a clock of some sort.

Her vertical pupils met the digital figures on the oven.

5:55.

_Alright, early morning. No wonder it's all silent and desert._

She considered going back to sleep, but somehow, she didn't really feel like slumbering anymore. Drowsiness had been vanquished, wakefulness now reigning in her body.

Her panoramic look first stopped on the huge TV screen.

_Mmmmmh… why not ? I don't think they would mind if I switched it on in their absence._

Then she continued watching the room, and stopped on the picture window.

Last night, given that she was so busy celebrating her admission in the team, she hadn't taken the time to have a look through that impressive window.

And now, she suddenly felt like seeing what view the superheroes had over the city.

A minute later, the girl with the stripped leggings was marveling at the sight : all the buildings opposite, and the endless blue of the sea, made a really beautiful landscape, the kind anyone would have loved to benefit from in their flat.

_They are pretty lucky to have such a nice view ! It must really be worth the contemplation at sunrise or sunset. I'd love to be there for one of these two moments._

"Nice view, isn't it ?"

Jinx almost jolted and immediately turned around.

"Rae ! Good Morning ! I… I didn't hear you coming in !"

"Good morning to you too ! I actually didn't come in through the automatic doors, that's why you didn't hear anything. I just teleported in here, directly from my room."

"Oh ! You can teleport ? I had seen you levitate, but not teleport. That's cool !"

"Comes in handy, yes." The Azarathian floated up and landed by the other grey-skinned female. "Did you have a good night for your first night here ?"

A small smile showed up on the usually deadpan face.

"I did. Although I wasn't sure if I could manage to fall asleep, with all that excitement. Thanks for asking, Rae. What about you ?"

"I usually sleep sound." She turned her violet orbs to the pink ones. "I'm glad to hear you had a peaceful night. You're off to a good start here. Positive omen." Then she faced the landscape outside. "So, how about that panorama here ? Do you like it ?"

"Yes, I do. I was just thinking that you guys are lucky to have such a view."

The Violet Sorceress turned again to the Pink one.

"Sure. And now, you're part of the _**lucky ones**_ as well. Which is pretty nice for someone named… Jinx."

The smile widened.

The addressee chuckled. She didn't know Raven could make some jokes, and given that the Dark Titan looked so serious… that certainly was unexpected.

"Funny pun, Rae ! Cool to hear you joke."

Arella's daughter sighed.

"It's not in my nature, I admit. But then again, a wise one changes their mind sometimes, a fool never, right ? And now, how about we have a cup of tea ? Would you like that ?"

Jinx grinned.

"I would _love_ to !"

Both fellow magicians soon were sitting on kitchen chairs, smoking mugs in front of them.

Jinx looked at her tea, feeling somewhat uneasy, not knowing what to talk about.

Rae was watching her, smirking.

The hex girl finally raised her head and their eyes met.

The horn-haired teen quickly smiled, nervous, and she wondered what to discuss about.

But the empath spoke up first.

"Tell me, Jinx, why did you join the H.I.V.E. Academy in the first place ? What were you looking for, or aiming for, when you did ? If you don't mind telling me, that is…"

The pink-haired one smiled softly at the violet-haired one.

"I don't mind. You see, I heard about the H.I.V.E. from the only friend I had ever had prior to befriending Mammoth. She told me that folks from any origin, with any powers, of any appearance were welcomed there, and since I had never been accepted the way I was, and had instead been bullied, I thought that it would be an opportunity for me to get on with my life in an environment where I would be left in peace and respected, like any student from any place with any look and any abilities. All I wanted was a stable context where I would get the chance to improve myself without being despised or bullied."

Raven was visibly thoughtful, therefore she didn't immediately speak. But she soon decided to react to what she had been confided.

"I understand what it is, to feel the need to be accepted. Just accepted the way you are, without having to compromise on your dressing or your haircut. When I arrived on Earth, from my parallel dimension, people were looking at me in a really negative way : "that girl with grey skin and a hood over her head all the time, she looks so weird… so creepy…" In some of their eyes, I could even identify disgust. And from that day on, I stopped looking them square in the eyes. I wanted to avoid feeling any hurt, and it could be done only by avoiding others' gazes. But tell me, were other kids that violent with you ?"

"You have no idea how much. Some of them were sadistic, some relished the sight of me being constantly annoyed, as evil little rubbernecks, some were hypocritical. One of them even betrayed me. She pretended to be my friend, and I began trusting her, ingenuously believing it was all true, that she sincerely liked me. She used this to her advantage, and ended up publicly ridiculing me. After that, I withdrew in my shell, and when another girl, one who was always on her own, wanted to befriend me, I was cold and distant at first, but then I realized that she never talked to anyone else and was obviously lonesome, so I understood she badly needed a friend, just like me, and that's because she sensed it that she had come to me. We eventually became good friends, but my happiness was short-lived : she had to move away, and I soon was alone again… alone with the bullies ! But I decided to not remain passive, and henceforth trade tit for tat. In the end, I manhandled a horrible little brat, and was excluded from school."

Jinx weakly smiled, a sad expression floating in her pink eyes.

"As you can see, I haven't had the happiest childhood. But I'm still there, alive and determined to move on, no matter what."

Raven leaned forward and put her hand over the arm of her fellow sorceress.

"Jinx… I am really sorry about what happened to you as a child. I'm sad to know you had to go through all this. Really sad. I wish I had been there with you to help you fight back."

The hex female smiled, in a more confident way than before.

"Thank you, Rae. It means a lot to me. Especially coming from you. You are an amazing friend, and I'm so lucky to have you. And the others too, naturally. But _**you**_ have been particularly nice to me, and for that, I really am grateful to you !"

The half-demon grinned.

"You're welcome, really. I'm lucky to have you as friend too, Jinx. It's a pleasure to have you with us, and we hope you'll like it here. And I'll always be here for you, if you need anything, so don't hesitate to ask me, okay ?"

The Violet Sorceress squeezed the arm of the Pink one, sweetness flowing from her eyes.

The horn-haired teen knew that this sweetness was friendship's expression, yet she felt it would have been even nicer if it had been the expression of another feeling…

Jinx was looking at the squeezing hand of Raven, and she was really enjoying that pressure on her arm.

She hesitated.

_What if I…_

Could she ?

But all of a sudden, she decided that she shouldn't be so afraid of consequences, and to just go for it, as often as could be.

And so, just like that, she laid her hand over Raven's, and squeezed it.

She raised her head and her pink irises looked for the violet ones.

"Thank you for comforting me, and for feeling sorry for me, Rae. I truly am moved by your kindness, and be sure I'll never ever forget it. Of course, I'll come to you should I need any more comfort, and you can do the same by the way, for I'll always be here for you, Rae !"

Raven could feel, through the hand holding hers, a real "tidal wave of emotion". It was extremely powerful, and the empath assumed that it was the intensity of Jinx's gratitude and friendship that she was feeling. But she definitely was impressed by the great force of that feeling. Would she have been told that the person displaying such powerful emotional vibes was in love, the strength of such an output wouldn't have been that baffling, but friendship…? It was new to her that friendship could be so immensely powerful in its inner manifestation !

"Are you alright, Rae ? You look… perplexed !" worriedly said Jinx, removing her hand from over Raven's, as the Goth had been staring at it while her smile vanished and got replaced by a puzzled look.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm… okay… it's just… I didn't know Friendship could find such an intense expression. It's almost as strong as Love. Impressive."

Upon hearing the comment about love, Jinx bit her lip, dreading her feelings for the demonic human would be discovered.

The room fell back into silence.

Then both happened to speak at the same time, their words mixing, which made them stop and chuckle simultaneously, smiles returning after awkwardness.

"Well, it's good to see you this happy early morning !"

Both female heads turned around to find Robin standing there, arms crossed and a smirk on.

"Good morning, Robin." Raven droned on, returning to her usual monotone, thus hiding any trace of previous emotion.

"Hello, Robin." greeted Jinx, but in a less neutral tone of voice, nervousness slightly perceptible in her intonation.

"And may I know what puts you two in such a good mood ?"

Jinx's eyes left Robin's to plunge in Raven's, implicitly asking her what should be replied to that.

"Oh, let's say that Friendship is the best thing to start a new day with…" cryptically answered Raven, and having brought the mug to her lips, she winked at Jinx while sipping at her tea…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Later that day, the peacefulness of the Tower was shattered as the blaring howl of the alarm echoed everywhere.

Jinx, having been explained how the whole thing worked, and how exactly worked the T-communicator, hurried to the common room.

She was the third to arrive, Robin and Raven being already there.

"You did quick ! Well done, you're in the right mood for a mission : quickly ready, and poised to enter the forthcoming battle. I like this attitude." commented Robin.

The once evil witch smiled and turned her eyes to Raven.

"If you're making the leader happy, you're on the right track. Continue that way and you'll fit in quicker than you think."

The Goth gave a small smile and Jinx returned it.

Once Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy were present as well, Robin checked the data regarding the place of occurrence and the enemies.

"Serious trouble, Titans ! Saico-Tek has attacked military premises and hacked into missile guidance system. Mmmmh, he's certainly planning to launch missiles to destroy official buildings, but I can't find where : military inner data being top secret, even us Titans have no access to them. We'll have to enter the army computer to find out."

He turned to his now five teammates.

"This is really urgent and we have no time to waste, so standard means of transportation like T-car and T-bike are definitely excluded. The fastest way to get there is by immediate teleportation."

He turned to Raven and watched her expectantly.

"I'm on it" she briefly replied.

Jinx saw how her beloved closed her eyes and focused her magical abilities on finding the location of the attacked premises.

It took only a few seconds before the female wizard reopened her eyes.

"I found the spot. Come closer to me."

She put her hood up while the others stepped to her.

Jinx felt a slight disappointment at Rae's hiding her beautiful face underneath the blue fabric, but decided to keep her remark for later, once she would be alone with her.

"_AZARATH, METRION, ZINTHOS ! _" intoned the demonic human.

A large swirl of black cropped up and the whole gang very briefly found itself in complete, cold darkness.

It lasted only three seconds, and suddenly they found themselves in the middle of a large room, filled with technological equipment… and surrounded by knocked out soldiers !

There was an odd smell in the premise.

"A gas of some sort ! And we don't have our masks with us !" screamed Robin.

"It's sleeping gas. We'll be dozing off in no time if we don't get out of here !" informed Cy after checking the gas nature on the tiny screen of your arm.

"Needless flee from here : I can arrange that." the Dark Titan explained. "The way it's done will seem somewhat creepy to you, but it's going to be alright."

Before anybody could ask more, black appeared around everyone's mouth and nose, imprisoning the lower parts of the faces in black gags.

Being dark energy, the sensation it produced was coolness, which took everyone by surprise.

"It's… it's cold !" yelled Beast Boy.

"It is, but my energy is always cold, and since we haven't found a better solution, you will have to deal with it. Those magical protections enable you to breathe and speak normally, but nothing will be able to enter your noses and your mouths apart from regular air. So, if you want, it's a kind of 'magical mask'."

"Thank you, Rae, and bravo !" cheered Jinx, smiling underneath her black gag.

The Goth nodded in her direction, and if one had been able to take a closer look at her, they would have noticed a change in her eyes, indicating that she was smiling as well, underneath her black gag.

"Rae ? You call her Rae ? How come she lets you ? When I call her that, she always corrects me !" complained the morpher.

"Whatever ! Let's focus on the mission !" muttered the empath.

Robin's mind was working fast, assessing the situation to find the adequate line of action.

"Alright, we have two main goals to take care of : make sure the missiles aren't launched and neutralize Saico-Tek ! The first thing to do is head to the control room and cancel the launching process ! But since all those soldiers are asleep, there's no way we can ask them the direction of the control room. It's up to us to find it. And to do that better, I think we should split into three groups of two and search the base."

They nodded and paired : Cyborg with Beast Boy, Robin with Starfire, Raven with Jinx. **(2)**

And soon, the three units separated.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Robin and Starfire were running in the corridors, trying to find out in which room the operations center could be located. But the room doors were all the same, bearing no particular writing or warning sign, and thus did they have to open each one they saw to check what exactly was inside.

They had been at it for 7 minutes when they came across some unusual device, a black box with a red flashing light on the side and red figures changing on a digital display, set in a corner of a room holding flammables (this could be deduced from the related hazard symbol on the side of the dangerous goods).

The Boy Wonder neared the device and pulled out a mini-computer, which he set in scanning mode.

The tiny machine worked fast and soon handed out the result of the analysis.

"It's some explosive. Saico-Tek put this bomb right here to have a great blast, the flammable goods making the bursting far more powerful and destructive. I must try to deactivate it, but how ?"

"Perhaps… friend Raven can open a portal and throw the bomb into it ?" suggested the alien.

"Mmmmh… well…"

The masked boy pondered the proposal, then looked more intently at the top of the explosive.

A little in the back of the device, he could see a plastic compartment containing some silver liquid in a circular shape, and wires all around it.

He quickly analyzed the liquid, and when the result came out, he frowned.

"That's mercury. And should mercury touch any of those wires, the bomb will go off. The liquid is put in a slightly curved part that probably will bend to make mercury touch some wire, once the countdown reaches zero. That implies that we can't move the device, as it may break the balance and provoke the explosion. And Raven certainly can't cast that thing into a portal while keeping a perfect balance." His eyes wandered down to the digital display, where the countdown mercilessly continued. "And we don't have enough time : there is only one minute and a half left before the explosion !"

He looked at her, nervous.

"So… what do we do ?" asked the Tamaranean.

Robin's mind was racing to find a solution.

Then his eyes widened.

"If we can produce an electric arc, then we could make mercury evaporate, rendering the bomb totally harmless."

He felt somewhat weird, talking that way, as it sounded more Cyborg. But the Boy Wonder could also get technical sometimes…

Among his gadgets, he had new one he hadn't tried yet : a tiny box which could cast electrical shocks once aimed at the target.

He adjusted the intensity of the device, sweat forming on his forehead, as the digital figures kept on decreasing and decreasing, bringing Fate nearer and nearer.

Then he shot at the plastic box.

It seemed that nothing was happening… but a thin smoke started to rise, indicating that the plastic was slowly melting. _**Too**_ _slowly_, he thought checking the quite scarce amount of time remaining… and noticing there remained only 9 seconds !

The electricity suddenly finished melting the translucent wall of the compartment and briskly reached the mercury, vaporizing it and thus discarding lethal danger for good !

There no longer was any hazard… at least, not with the bomb, but there remained the missiles !

Robin gave a long sigh.

"Waow, that was a close one ! I'm no Mac Gyver but I'm pretty proud of having found a solution for this one !" **(3)**

"Bravo, bravo, Robin ! You are most awesome !" shrilled the ingenuous extraterrestrial.

"Thanks Star ! But now we must keep checking all the rooms : it's not impossible that Saico-Tek has put another bomb somewhere else."

They wasted no time and ran outside the room.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Cyborg opened another door and…

"Booyaaaa ! That's certainly the control room ! I'm almost sure of that !" yelled the half-metal teenager.

"Dude, I'm sure you're right !" exclaimed the green morpher.

They hurried into the room and Cyborg soon spotted what he was looking for.

"That's the launch process !" he said, pointing at a console with a missile symbol and a countdown running low. "I hope I can hack into it and cancel the whole thing !"

"Okay, go ahead, I'll warn the others that we found it !" replied his friend.

BB then called all Titans on his T-comm.

"Guys, we found it ! We found the control room ! And Cy is already at work to stop the launching."

"Great !" replied Robin. "As for us, we found a mercury bomb that we could deactivate, and we're checking the last few rooms to see if there could be another such bomb somewhere else. We should be here shortly. We'll trace the location of your communicator to find the room."

"We'll be back as soon as possible. No trace of Saico-Tek up to now." informed Raven.

"Alright. Let's meet up in the operations center in a moment !" concluded Robin.

The Tech began typing frantically, trying to understand how to access the launching commands, but the lock to the system prevented any bypassing.

"It's gonna be more difficult than I thought." He glanced at the time running down in the corner of the screen. "And we don't have that much time. Four minutes left only. Damn, that's short !"

He connected a cable to the computer and plugged the other end into the electronic port on his arm.

He thus obtained a connection to the launching program, and began typing as quickly as he possibly could.

"How is it going, Man ?" asked a concerned BB, as he was observing his nervous buddy.

Both had a look at the countdown : less than two minutes remained !

"That system is really damn well protected. Even my own "cracking" software has difficulties getting in it !"

"Dude, hurry up, hurry up, please !"

"As if I wasn't already…" mumbled the cybernetic boy.

And suddenly, it happened : the system lock gave in and Cyborg was granted access to the main control panel !

"JEEZ ! Finally !" shouted the half-robot.

He was sweating as hell, but those drops gathering on his forehead were the least of his concern.

19 seconds to go…

… a few last keys to hit…

…and…

_**LAUNCHING PROCESS ABORTED**_ appeared on the screen.

"BOOYAAAA !" yelled Cy, pumping his fist in the air.

"Man, where would we be without you ?!" joyfully exclaimed the changeling.

"Right now ? In hell !" joked the African-American.

One of the Titans' duty was completed.

As for the other one…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

"I hope they can stop the launching…" whispered Jinx with obvious worry.

"Trust Cyborg : he's a real crack when it comes down to technology, notably informatics. I'm confident he'll find a way to hack into the military informatics system and soon call us to advise that he managed to-"

As if on cue, an incoming call made their T-com beep.

On the screen, the Tech was beaming.

"It's DONE ! The missiles are safe ! Now all we need to do is find Saico-Tek and neutralize him… and we can consider this mission over !"

The Dark Titan was looking at the screen, Jinx behind her… when the latter heard a faint noise on her left. Her eyes met up with a dark room whose only source of light was the one provided from the corridor, drawing a light rectangle on the floor of the dark premise.

The Pink Sorceress, after quickly glancing at Raven, who hadn't heard the sound, slowly stepped in direction of the light noise.

"Good" said Raven. "Here, we are almost done, and he's nowhere to be found. So we'll soon be with you…"

The hair-horned female took a look all around her and spotted a door in the rear, so she started for it…

"Okay, we'll finish it here and teleport right where you are" was saying Rae in the nearby corridor.

But Jinx didn't really listen to her, focused as she was on the door, and stretched her arm in direction of the knob…

"Over for now." the empath concluded in the back.

The new Titan turned the knob and opened the door slowly…

"Jinx, where are you ?"

The door was opening gradually, further and further, revealing only darkness…

"I'm h-"

The former baddie screamed as she felt pain spread at lightspeed inside her body, after experiencing a brutal shock in her back.

She wanted to turn around but another such shock sent her to the ground, making her yell even louder.

Raven ran inside the room, hurrying to her injured teammate.

"JINX !"

"Be careful, Rae ! Around you…" painfully uttered her fellow magician.

Rae turned around just in time to see a blue orb rush to her from the upper corner of the room.

She swiftly moved aside and the projectile hit the floor at her previous location.

The Azarathian wanted to go see Jinx, ask her how she was, but it dawned on her that being by her friend's side would make their hidden enemy target the injured girl again. So she remained where she was and, keeping her eyes on the dark corner from where the energy orb had been cast, and that now was all silent again, she spoke up loud for Jinx to hear.

"Jinx, how are you feeling ? Do you need immediate healing or do you think you can handle it a few more minutes, while I fight him ?"

"I'll be alright…" the addressee let out with a wince. "Just leave me two minutes, and I'll be with you…"

The demonic female stared intently at the corner, feeling her anger build up.

"Come out, you lousy swine ! Fight openly, instead of hiding up there in the shadows ! I'll make you pay for hurting my friend !" she shouted.

"AH AH AH ! If you so wish, then so be it !"

And a few seconds later, Saico-Tek was standing on the floor of the dark premise.

There was something new about his appearance : he had some kind of equipment on his back, with straps to carry, and from that mysterious equipment stemmed cables which plunged directly in arm-wrapping technologic devices.

He raised his right arm. Blue appeared in the cable, then a blue orb then formed in his palm, directed at Raven.

"Die !" he muttered to his adversary.

Raven floated away to avoid it, but the foe then produced several similar projectiles and, his arm turning this way and that way, he targeted at the cloaked girl, trying in vain to hit her.

A pink wave hit him, making him totter yet not fall backwards.

But the following wave made him.

"Tough luck !" said the bad luck female, her arms stretched in direction of the enemy.

The latter got up and, changing one of the settings on his arm, sent this time a blue beam at the Hex.

She dodged it and cast new pink waves.

One of them hit Saico-Tek, who roared in anger.

"I won't let two witches get the best of me ! See the might of my power suit !"

He had turned another small control buttons on his arm and, running to the wall, he jumped and his feet landed flat on it, making him stand… in horizontal position, feet firmly resting on the wall !

_What's that ? Anti-gravity shoes ?_ wondered Rae.

The baddie then ran up and made his feet land on the ceiling, where he continued to run, aiming alternatively at Raven and at Jinx.

The Goth avoided most of the blue rays, but one of them managed to hit her shoulder.

"AAAAAAAH !" screamed the Violet Sorceress, going down.

"RAVEN !" yelled Jinx, running to the fallen Titan, who was already trying to stand back up.

But she hadn't been careful enough.

Saico-Tek had jumped off the ceiling and, targeting the running teen, fired three successive blue beams at her…

…Jinx let out a loud screech and collapsed…

…Raven watched in horror as she did…

… the bad guy managed to cushion the impact of his fall and got up…

… he turned a button on his arm equipment to the maximum…

…and before the cloaked fighter could even give a hint of rushing forward, the evil creature directed his arm at Jinx's back and fired several times !

The pain was so excruciating that, after giving a howl horrible enough to send shivers down one's spine, the poor new Titan felt her eyes roll backwards in their sockets… and she passed out !

"Ah ah, serves you right ! That'll teach you a lesson about defying Saico-Tek !" The psychopath raised his head to catch sight of his second adversary. "And now, it's your t- AAAAAAH !"

A gigantic black talon closed around the foe and started pressing his body tighter and tighter, stifling the baddie.

His eyes were goggling at the powerful wizard, whose eyes were now completely black, while her right hand was clenched in his direction, making it clear it was that hand commanding the magical claw that held him.

Rage hadn't taken over inside of her, other wise her eyes would have doubled and colored red, but those now black eyes still implied anger. Just not enough anger to let out her darkest emoticlone and turn berserk.

"You shouldn't have harmed my friend…" said the Dark Titan in a loud voice, her tone a menacing one and gritting her teeth. "You really shouldn't have."

The talon squeezed Saico-Tek even more, and a gurgle rose from his throat as he struggled for air.

Just when he felt he was done with, the giant claw opened and his body briskly crashed on the cold floor, but the pressure over his chest has been too oppressive : he saw a myriad of shiny dots invade his field of vision, and before he could even make the slightest move, he fainted, his head hitting the concrete pretty hard.

Raven's eyes returned to normal and she ran to the unconscious body of the new Titan. She bent down and, after turning Jinx around and laying her on her back, she put her arms under the girl's knees and back, and delicately lifted the limp organism, her amethyst orbs expressing the deepest concern.

Then she teleported both of them plus Saico-Tek's body into the control room, where their four friends were already waiting.

"Oh my gosh !" screamed Starfire, hands over her mouth in shock. "Is… is she…?"

The empath shook her head.

"She suffered a pretty brutal attack from that swine there." She briefly nodded her head in the direction where the unconscious enemy was laid, not even casting him a single glance as she did so. "I will carry her back to the Tower." The Violet Sorceress focused her energy and two portals opened side by side. "The left portal leads to the Tower, the right one to the police station. Once you've dropped… him (she uttered that word disdainfully) in jail, you can come back from that right portal and enter the left one to get back home."

"Thank you, Raven ! And take good care of our new friend." said the African-American.

A fleeting smile showed on the grey lips.

"I will."

Then she headed to the left portal and walked straight into it.

"I hope Jinx will be alright…" sadly said the Tamaranean.

"I'm sure she will" simply replied Robin, confident as always.

"I _**know**_ she will !" corrected Cyborg. "Thanks to Raven."

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

The dark empath took her hands away from the injured organism and her white-shining eyes returned to their normal violet.

She had been performing her healing spell on Jinx, and given the damage inflicted to the poor witch's body, it had taken her quite a while to have the inner wounds fully "fixed". Therefore did Rae feel a tad tired once the healing ended.

A few seconds ago, she had felt that the healing was complete, but she had just double-checked to make sure her friend's body was now completely restored.

Arella's daughter stared at the motionless pale girl in her purple bed (she had carried it in her own room, as she was sure her teammates wouldn't bother them : indeed, no one _** ever**_ dared to enter Raven's room, knowing what terrible consequences could follow…).

_She really looks a lot like me, with that grey skin, those thin lips and that pink hair, close to violet. She's also a sorceress like me, and even if she never knew her parents, I'm convinced that at least one of them was a demon, making her a half-demon like me… if not a full demon ! No wonder we got closer to each other. Then again, she is really nice and caring, shows much kindness, all of which I wouldn't have suspected from her, from the way I knew her as an enemy…_

Raven's eyes couldn't turn away from the pale face of the still unconscious girl lying close to her. There was something… attractive about the former evil witch's face.

The Dark Titan leaned forward and looked closely, with interest, at the calm face of her motionless friend, and a small smile stretched up her mouth as she observed every detail of her features.

_She is really attractive. Then again, why couldn't half-demons be pretty, if not beautiful ? Just like witches : why should they obligatorily be ugly ? Nonsense. And she has charm. Her face __is__ alluring, and I like those vertical pupils of hers, like a feline… It makes her really special._

The cloaked girl suddenly realized what she had just thought and immediately felt embarrassment rise inside of her.

What was she thinking ? That Jinx was… appealing ?!

She was considering a female… attractive ?!

Confusion had seized her and was troubling her more than she thought.

The glass of water on the nightstand got encased in black energy, which Raven saw, but before she could even start her self-control effort, the object shattered in an explosion of shards.

Fortunately, none of them reached Jinx nor Raven.

The confused magician realized that her emotions were taking over, the damage to objects typically being a consequence of Timid's power.

She swallowed her saliva and glanced at Jinx.

Her fellow sorceress was still immobile under the sheet and blanket, her face bearing a calm expression.

Rae hesitated, unsure whether it would be reasonable to do it after the energy outburst.

She closed her eyes and whispered her mantra in a voice that she tried to keep emotionless, or at least as neutral as could be. But she still was murmuring in a rushed voice.

And only when she felt her inner balance seemingly return did she open up her amethyst orbs.

Raven still dithered, but finally made up her mind and put her cold hand on Jinx's forehead.

The skin wasn't hot, so for sure fever wasn't adding to the poor girl's problems.

The Goth thought of removing her hand, but unexpectedly decided to leave it there a tad longer.

Her thumb slowly moved on the Hex's skin, giving it a tiny caress.

_Her skin is so soft… so nice to stroke…_

Raven breathed deeply to ensure further self-control and avoid a new damage in the room.

She somehow knew that what she was doing was… a bit strange, yet she couldn't help it.

Suddenly, Jinx's face came to life : she frowned and moaned a bit. This alerted Rae, who immediately took her hand away from her forehead.

The previously injured female finally opened up her eyes again after a long time of unconsciousness.

She turned her head with difficulty to look at the girl she loved.

"Hey Rae ! How's it going ?" she laboriously phrased.

On her lips appeared a weak, tired smile that floated there for seconds, while the poor girl slowly closed her eyes and reopened them just as slowly, a great sigh making her chest rise and sink with effort.

"Nevermind me. It's you who were injured by that… _bastard_ !"

The word was so unexpected from Raven, who rarely ever cursed. And that's exactly how it sounded to Jinx : totally unexpected. The Hex therefore opened her eyes wider, her smile vanishing for a very brief moment.

"Rae ! Is it really you uttering such a "bad word" ? I never suspected that YOU could sometimes be foul-mouthed ! From Beast Boy or Cyborg, I wouldn't have been too surprised, but YOU…"

The Azarathian inhaled deeply.

"Sorry…" she then whispered as she briskly exhaled air.

"Nonono, it's okay, really ! I don't mind. At all. It adds some… peculiar charm to your personality !"

The Pink Sorceress realized, too late, her use of the word 'charm' for the girl she was infatuated with… but she was just too tired to really care or feel uneasy about it.

"Thank you." softly said Raven. "Tell me, how are you feeling, Jinx ? I used my healing power on you, but I just want to make sure you're alright now."

The addressee quickly sighed.

"I'm good. Just tired, that's all. Is it all okay with the missiles and Saico-Tek ?"

"The launching procedure was aborted, as you heard on the communicator, and as for Saico-Tek, he'll be sleeping in jail tonight and onward."

"Good. I liked this mission, even if it didn't go so well for me. But it was my first mission, and it was definitely cool ! And thanks a lot for teaming up with me ! That was way nice from you !"

Jinx smiled softly at Raven, who suddenly felt her face heat up. Which she had _** never**_ felt before ! Not even for any boy.

_Gosh, I __**CAN'T**__ be blushing ! I just __**CAN'T**__ !_

A book placed on a table suddenly went flying away, encased in black.

The former criminal looked at it, stunned, and the empath swiftly turned around and remained that way.

"Are you okay, Rae ?" asked a puzzled Jinx, after bringing her gaze back at her and seeing her turned around.

"Yeah, it's just that I… I felt like coughing and didn't want to do it in your direction…"

"Oh ! Perhaps you should have a glass of water."

"No. No, it will be fine, don't worry."

The cloaked one finally turned around and looked into Jinx's pink irises, but tried to keep her composure.

"It was nice fighting with you too !" she finally uttered, doing her best to remain in control of her emotions.

But Rae didn't see the next thing coming : the pink-haired one lay her hand over hers, and grinned at her.

And as Jinx grinned, she didn't appear that much tired… as if something had temporarily boosted her energy !

"Rae… thank you so much for healing me ! For saving me ! And for being such a wonderful, such a precious friend. I'm lost for words to express you my gratitude."

That being said, the Pink Sorceress squeezed the hand of the Violet one.

The latter felt a hot wave hit her face and the heat linger there.

She gulped, and the bulb of the bedside lamp exploded, making both girls jolt, yet not scream.

"R…Raven… what is happening ?" asked the worried voice of the bad luck girl in the dark.

Her interlocutor sighed.

"It's… my emotions again. They are running wild. I will need to meditate tonight. In fact, I… I think I shouldn't be late going to bed." Her violet eyes stared at the grey hand holding her own grey one. "Not that I wouldn't want to stay with you…"

She swallowed her saliva.

Another sound in the dark : books falling from the shelf.

_Come on, Timid, stop it ! You're really embarrassing me, you shy little girl… Calm down, please ! _

The empath nevertheless wasn't resentful to her most reserved emoticlone. Timid was Timid, after all, and there was no changing her.

"But what's the matter with your emotions ? Why are they restless ?" asked her new friend.

The demonic human took a deep breath.

"It's… a bit complicated. I'll tell you tomorrow, or later, once I'm ready to explain." A short pause. "You can stay in my bed for the night. You're still weak and I think it would be better for you not to move for now.

"But it's your bed ! And it's really no problem going to my room : after all, it's just next door ! I'll manage there."

"No no, it's okay, you can remain in my room. I ensure you it's no problem. And I even lend it to you with pleasure."

Jinx's smile widened in the dark, and she felt another wave of happiness rise within her.

"Once again, thank you so very much, Raven !"

Another squeeze of hand… and another sound of explosion somewhere in the darkness !

"I'd better go now, before my room is covered with pieces of broken things or fallen books…"

"Of course, Rae. I wish you a good night. Sleep well. And I hope you can channel your emotions. If I can help with that, just let me know."

_Oh, Jinx, if you knew that __**you**__ are the __**cause**__ of my emotional trouble…_

"Thanks. You too, Jinx. See you tomorrow."

And the once evil female released the hand of the girl who had fought her demonic heritage to become good.

Once the door had been closed, the Hex smiled in the dark, not believing how, despite her harsh attack that day, her luck kept on increasing.

_She has let me hold her hand ! She considers me that close a friend ! I wouldn't have dreamt of such a positive evolution ! Rae… thank you… I love you more each passing day…_

As for Raven, who slept in Jinx's bed that night, she still was confused as to her own behaviour that evening…

Staring that long at Jinx's face…

Finding her appealing…

Laying her hand on the girl's forehead, and giving a slow stroke of her thumb…

Allowing Jinx to hold her hand, and even squeeze it…

And naturally, being that moved by all this, and having Timid provoke several little catastrophes…

_If my emotions are at work, and one is influencing the situation that much, it has to mean something…_

And she evidently knew that, starting from the following day, she would have to make sure what exactly that "_**something**_" was…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**** :**

**: a girl alone in a silent building : that's reminiscent of my previous story, an **

**horror one-shoot titled SPOOKY, where Rae finds herself on her own to face… **

**well, just read it if ya wanna know ! ;)**

**: pairings : well yeah, I decided that the mission pairings here would match the **

**love (RobXStar) and friendship (Cy/BB) pairings of the show, and my RaeXJinx **

**pairing… makes sense, uh ?**

**: Mac Gyver : actually, that bomb, with a circular mercury drop imprisoned in a **

**circle of stripped wires REALLY is part of the plot of a MacGyver episode. And **

**given that MG used to be one of my childhood's fav's, I thought I might as well **

**pay that series a tribute here. Richard Dean Anderson, thanxxxx 4 everything !**

**Woooow ! That many pages ! What's happening to me ? Russian-writer syndrome ? (if ya know what that is…)**

**Anyway, that was a nice mix of emotions and action, no ? Waddya think ? 2 hand squeezes and a major hurt, these are crucial moments ! And naturally, the confidences at the beginning. I wanted such intense elements, to thicken the plot a bit.**

**And I thought that even if this story is an emotional one, a few action scenes wouldn't get in the way. All the more since it helps tightening the girls' bond : indeed, it's Jinx's hurt during the fight that brings them so close at the end.**

**So, will Raven understand what the matter is with her emotions ? Will she accept it ? Or refuse / deny it ? Yours to find… soon enough !**

**I hope you still like it. Yet not many reviews to let me know if ya do (damn, I'm sure I'd be drowning in reviews if I had chosen the worn-out RaeXBB pairing, but whatever…!), but I'm thankful for the few I receive. At least, some still care to actually let me know how they feel about my story, and I'm grateful for that.**

**Oh, and btw : the title of this chappy is a phonic play on the sounds of "A MISSION" and "EMOTIONS", who both appear kinda similar.**

**Thanxxxx 4 feedbaxxxx, fav's, foll's and basically being interesting in this fic' !**

**Wish ya the finest till nXt time, Folxxxx ! Good luck and never forget to smile ! :D**

**Peace, Love, Ecstasy !**

**)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) "Swissy" (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((**


	10. Clouds of Doubt, Sun of Acceptance

**)))))))) IX ((((((((**

**)))) ClOuDs Of DoUbT, sUn Of AcCePtAnCe ((((**

**))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((**

**Good : Morning ? Afternoon ? Evening ? The choice is yours !**

**Alright, so basically, I have 5 people to particularly thank this time : **

**on top of the pyramid :**___**extraordinary banana**_**, who really made my day by both reviewing **_**and**_** favoriting**

**in the middle of the pyramid : **_**IcyKixz236**__**,**_** who reviewed,**___**Crzyratlady**_**, who read… yet did NOT review yet (why ? good question…), but on the other hand did favorite and review SPOOKY, my horror one-shot (so, dear Ash, I'm thanking ya here, but for another story ! :D) and finally **_**I'mJustMeAJ**_**, who nicely decided to put the fiction in both her/his "followed" and "favorites" baskets**

**at the basis of the pyramid : **__, **who is now following it.**

**Thanxxxx all five for reading, and either reviewing, or favoriting, or following… or any combination of the three ! You guys made my day !**

**Sorry if I delayed the start of my next chappy for 5 days (I'm starting this on October 21st only) : I've been off duty 3 days in a row, but did NOT have access to a computer, so there was no way I could begin typing next chapter before. It will somewhat delay the update, but I trust you'll be understanding about that… won't ya ? *cautiously glance at ya all***

**N'JOY !**

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Raven was lying in Jinx's bed, after leaving hers to the Hex, yet she was not sleeping.

Her eyes weren't even closed.

The violet irises were staring at the ceiling… but _not_ absent-mindedly. Even on the contrary : the half-demon may have been fixing her gaze on the white surface above, but inside, she was more than focused, her mind set on a precise problem..

_I really like Jinx as a friend. That's undeniable. I always feel comfortable around her and have been enjoying her company more than anybody else's, lately. So I'm really happy that she became part of the Teen Titans and that I get to see her every day, not a single doubt about it. That's for friendship. But is there __**more**__ than friendship ?_

She gave a long, deep sigh and briefly closed her eyes, leaving them shut for a few seconds prior to staring again at the top of Jinx's room.

_What I felt yesterday evening, when I was with her in my room, was… really powerful ! My dark energy got loose and did some damage back there… and I'm certain that, would this emotion be related to mere amity, it wouldn't have come out THAT intense ! It's impossible ! Unless, naturally, in case I would have been panicked about Jinx, her life being at stake, with a high probability of her passing away. Only in such an extreme case would I have experienced such a powerful display of energy about sheer friendship._

She licked her lips, more thoughtful than ever.

_So, if this unusual manifestation of loose power isn't related to friendship, it can only mean one thing : I feel more for Jinx. More than just the basic friendly bond. And I can't deny she's attractive. She definitely IS ! But the thing is… can I do that ? Can I feel that way for… a __**female**__ buddy of mine ? It's… it's against the rules ! Against the normal way of life ! It does exist, yes, but it's… outside of conventions' scope ! Because men and women are supposed to pair together for a good reason : to perpetuate the human species via mating. That's why homosexual are to some extent unconventional : not in a negative, derogatory manner, but because they can't have babies with each other, and therefore can't ensure the vital biological need of creating life._

That sounded rather logical. She viewed the thing from a mere scientific perspective, Knowledge obviously at work right now, and without an ounce of disrespect to homosexuals, which she actually did respect : her next thought proved it.

_But then again, even if they stand out in society, couples of the same gender should be allowed to live their love freely, as long as they imitate the heterosexual couples by remaining in the boundaries set by the etiquette : love is fine provided it didn't overstepped decency's limits, both in heterosexuality and homosexuality. So there is no good reason to be that critical against gays : if they love each other, why should they ever have to hide ?_

She stopped her train of thoughts for a few seconds, blinking at the ceiling.

_What do I feel for Jinx ?I thought it was just friendship. Or rather, that's what it was initially. But now… I really like being close to her, and even feel her touch, and watch her… I also enjoyed stroking her forehead, upon checking on her temperature, for a possible fever… That's… that's not __**just**__ friendship. But can I live with that ? Can I really love… a girl ?_

The poor virgin, half-demonic human had never been in love, even with a boy, and her first feelings were for a… female ? Which made her be non-conventional. Somewhat abnormal, but not in a pejorative way : just different than most people.

And given that she was already intrinsically "abnormal", courtesy of her demonic genes… that would make her stand out even more !

Could she cope with being _that_ different from humans ?

Part of her was attracted to Jinx, undoubtedly attracted, but another part really dreaded to "go there" and be stigmatized as a lesbian, or even worse : as a "dike", a "butch", how they said in the insulting macho circles !

_I'm already different, so should I really care about becoming __more__ different ?_

That was a valid point.

And yet… yet she just couldn't make up her mind about accepting the feelings swelling inside of her.

She closed her eyes and, giving up her brooding over for a moment, just let her mind wander freely.

And where did it wander to ?

To Jinx's image.

She could picture the pink-haired smiling nicely at her and putting her hand over her arm, or even over her own hand… and squeezing it.

But she just couldn't fully enjoy it. There remained an anxious part within her.

_Timid… I really like you, but you aren't making my life any simpler…_

She briskly reopened her eyes and realized that she badly needed a cup of herbal tea, so she sighed and teleported away.

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"Ah, Raven, there you are ! We thought you would be sleeping in !" said Robin on a teasing tone as the empath got to the table.

Jinx was there, and the violet eyes immediately went for the pink ones.

"How are you feeling, Jinx ?" asked the healer, not sitting yet given that she wanted to make that tea.

"Better now, thank you, Rae. I'm most indebted to you for helping me back in good shape" explained the new Titan, smiling wide.

"You're welcome. That was nothing."

"On the contrary ! That WAS something ! And something really important for me ! You healed me ! That isn't "_nothing_" to me !"

Her exclamatory speech hinted to the Hex being almost indignant at Raven relativizing her own role, which had proved crucial in Jinx's getting better.

"Alright. It wasn't nothing. But again, you're really welcome."

Rae gave a small smile, and her interlocutor a wider one, as she nodded happily.

The Goth felt her face heat up at the cute smile, and therefore briskly looked away, briefly glancing at her friends, who were all looking at her with sustained attention.

"I'm gonna go make some tea" she quickly let out, almost as an excuse.

But before she turned away, she rapidly glanced at Jinx, who was still staring and smiling at her.

The Dark Titan hurried to the kitchen, wondering if the looks of her teammates were following her movement. She almost felt being eyed at.

All the time it took for the kettle to boil, then for her to prepare the herbal mixture, and finally pour the scalding hot water into the mug, was just respite time, which avoided her to face Jinx and have to control her power. So she really made the most of that time, somewhat anxious about the moment she would be sitting at the table and meet the cat-like look of her fellow wizard.

But finally she had to take place with her team and handle her emotions the best she could.

_Keep it in check… keep it in check… Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…_

Raven listened to what her teammates had to say, trying to get distracted enough to give herself some emotional space and relax, even to the smallest extent.

But no matter how hard she tried, her violet gaze was like magnetized to the pink one, and she couldn't help regularly glance at the horn-haired one.

Each time their gazes met, one of them would lower her eyes and gave a brief, embarrassed smile, focusing on her meal before trying to pay attention to the others, Raven additionally having to master her emotions by inwardly intoning her mantra over and over again.

And each time, after a brief visual break, one of them looked at the other, and either found the other already staring, or the other soon directed her gaze back, and in both cases, the sorceresses ended up "eyeballing" each other.

Once breakfast was over, the Titans split for their activities : the boys went for poker games, since Cyborg has challenged his two male teammates, saying that he would "outdo them big time", Starfire brought out some pen and paper and settle on the table to draw some original dresses – she had taken a fancy to imagining and designing dresses, lately – and Raven started for the double door leading out of the common room. **(1)**

Jinx hadn't been proposed to play poker, as the boys wanted to keep it a "boy matter", but Starfire had asked her to join in dress drawing. The cat-eyed witch had politely declined the offer, stating that she didn't draw well – which was true – but after the Tamaranean had insisted, that she might join later on – which was neither true nor false, as she was uncertain about it.

The new team member would rather have had some activity with Raven, but the Dark Titan was currently walking away, about to exit the room.

_It's really strange. She watched me several times during breakfast, and now she's leaving without a word. But then again, Cyborg told me she had her own nature, and could appear distant, while it's just her usual behaviour, even with friends. She's a tad strange… but I love her nonetheless._

The half-demon, as for her, wanted to meditate, to help herself regain her emotional balance, so she was about to leave for her room…

… when she suddenly came to a halt.

Her 6th sense let her know that she should turn around.

She did, and her purple stare stopped on the motionless silhouette observing her.

Obviously, Jinx was hoping that either she could accompany Raven or that Raven would come back to propose her to do something together.

The emotionless girl – or supposedly emotionless, since she had after all shown emotions lately – bit her lip, feeling guilt overwhelm her.

All her friends were gone, and only _she_ remained there, waiting on her own in the middle of the common room.

And the now lonely girl clearly watched Raven in this very moment… meaning she was hoping for a gesture from her. Something that would involve her and make her feel that the cold teen wanted to spend time with her.

The Azarathian closed her eyes, the perspective of meditation always drawing away, away… but Friendship had to be priority !

She reopened her eyes, which now held a firm determination, and floated over to the other female wizard.

"Jinx… I saw you were looking at me, and that you remained standing. So I wondered if you would be interested in a chess game. How about that ?"

The vertical pupils stared straight into the round ones.

"Well… I would have loved to, but I don't know how to play that game…"

The outline of a smile started to stretch Raven's lips.

"What if I teach you ?"

Jinx's face lit up.

"You would do that ?"

Her voice was full of hope.

The smile grew wider on Rae's face.

"Of course. I'll be glad to play with you."

"And so will I !"

The black-dressed witch was back in high spirits, and the blue-cloaked one herself felt better than she was before, wondering about their growing relationship.

The Dark Titan was especially relieved that her latest friend hadn't taken hold of her hand or hugged her by way of thanking, because in such an eventuality… it would have been quite possible for her power to go off again and produce new damage in the room. The current volatility of her feelings, whose balance had been broken, was indeed likely to cause minor issues, yet thankfully no havoc.

"Let's go to my room." concluded the half-demon.

Thanks to teleportation, only a few seconds later, they were sitting across from each other at the table set in Raven's room, and on which lay the chessboard and its 32 pieces.

"This is the king" started Rae as she put her pointer finger on the corresponding piece. "The goal is to corner the king of your opponent, so that he cannot move anymore once it's being threatened. So everything must be done to both attack the other's king and protect your own. I will explain you in details how each piece moves on the board."

The demonic human took all the time to tell her friend how the whole game functioned, and as she kept glancing up at her fellow magician, while showing the pieces' moves, she could see the former criminal stare at her with intensity. Actually, with… softness in her look. And Rae had much pleasure observing those cat-like pupils, those pink irises, this smile on the thin grey lips that resembled her own so much…

But Raven was focused. She had to be, to make sure she was constantly "emotionally-stable", all the more since she had not meditated yet that day, sacrificing that unavoidable practice for the chess tutoring. And therefore, putting Jinx first, before anything else, even her precious meditation.

Renouncing the latter was no easy thing for Raven, but she had taken pity on her female buddy.

That and, despite her hesitations about her feelings for Jinx… she still enjoyed her company so much !

And sought that company.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Much later on, Jinx raised her eyes from the board and grinned at Raven.

"Thanks for the chess lesson, Rae ! It was nice playing with you ! And it's a really interesting game indeed !"

The addressee's mouth arched up.

"You're welcome. And glad you like it. It's definitely my favourite game. It requires a lot of focus and analysis, which makes it last long, but it's worth the wait. Patience isn't a problem if the activity is captivating. I hope it wasn't _too_ long for you ?"

Her vis-à-vis pondered it quickly.

"Hum… Well, it did take time to play, and I had to do a lot of thinking, but it definitely was stimulating." There was a short silence. "And you're a great teacher, by the way."

The Hex grinned at the Goth, who returned the beam.

"Thank you. You're a great student yourself."

And, quite unexpectedly, and totally unlike herself, the emotionless Titan winked.

Jinx chuckled.

"Uh uh, thanks ! And you're really cute when you wink !"

But as soon as she was finished speaking, the black-clad female put the tips of her joined fingers over mouth, eyes goggling.

_Crap, how did I ended up with such a slip of the tongue ? I'm not supposed to tell her she looks __**cute**__ ! Damn and damn again ! What will she think ?_

The empath, as for her, stopped smiling as she felt heat wrap her face.

She quickly licked her lips.

Her eyes briskly lowered to the chess board, a change having drawn her attention.

The pieces had all just got encased in dark energy !

Jinx had also noticed and was now watching the magical phenomenon with curiosity.

But before any of the girls could utter a word, all pieces were swiftly cast in many different directions !

Jinx let out a shriek and looked at Raven, her wide eyes giving away her dread.

"What… What just happened ?"

The Violet Sorceress let out a long sigh.

"My emotions are at work again. I'm sorry for this outburst. I just… lost control."

Her pink-eyed friend bit her lip.

"Will you… Will you be okay, Rae ?"

Her interlocutor nodded, making a pout with her lips, before thinking of something important.

"Jinx, please excuse me, but I need to meditate for a while. Only meditation can help me control my emotions and prevent them from going off that way. I can't tell exactly how long this will take. And alas, for this, I need to be alone. So… I'm sorry, but I have to kindly ask you to wait for me in the common room. It will certainly be long, so maybe try to check with Starfire what you two can do in the meantime. I'll do my best to be back as soon as possible. Is that alright with you ?"

The new Titan felt a tad disappointed about having to leave Raven, with whom she would gladly have spent more time, but on the other hand she understood Raven's need. She had realized that her fellow magician had some very specific issues with the management of her emotions, and that's what forced her to regularly ensure the uphold of her inner balance.

"No problem, Rae. I fully understand and will leave you alone for meditation. And yeah, I think I can help Starfire with dress drawing."

She concluded the last part with a wink, and thus did Raven's smile return.

"Thank you, Jinx."

"No, thank **you**, Raven ! I'm so happy we are friends. Thank you for everything !"

The half-demonic smile widened.

"Have a good meditation !" concluded the once bad girl.

The chakra girl nodded, her face still hot, but her emotions currently channelized. She watched as the "good witch" closed the door, still smiling at her, and remained there for long seconds, staring at the closed door, a distracted smile floating on her lips as she thought of that nice teenager who took always more and more importance in her existence…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

The Dark Titan landed in a desert plain, under a dark sky, and, lifting her arms, she made a complex gesture, then put her arms back down.

Eight silhouettes instantly emerged from the ground, identical to Raven save for their cloaks' colours, all different from each other, making it seem that a "living rainbow" had sprouted from the depths of the soil.

"Welcome back, Master !" said Knowledge, who stood ahead of her sisters, given that she was considered the (unofficial) leader of the emoticlones. Doing so, she spoke in the name of all.

All of them, including the unruly Rage, then silently bowed at their Master and waited. **(2)**

"Hello to you all !" Raven greeted them. She gave a panoramic look to all eight of her emotions embodiments before carrying on : "I have asked you to come because I want to debate something important about my emotional state. I want to make sure about my exact feelings for Jinx. If I consider her only as a friend or if…" She swallowed. "…if there is more than just a buddy relationship."

Her violet stare turned to the right and stopped on Love. She didn't say a word though, given that her expectation was quite obvious : she wanted her most tender emotion to express her own feelings about the one who troubled Raven's mind so much.

And the purple one complied.

"I consider Jinx in a most fondly manner now. I won't lie to you, Master, I would never dare to : I'm smitten with her. She is so sweet, so caring, so gentle to you, and also so cute… I cannot get her out of my mind anymore. So, as far as I'm concerned, I hope that you and Jinx end up together ! I'm almost _praying _ for that !"

That spoke for itself. Crystal clear. Love… loved Jinx, and hoped she, Raven, would eventually fall in love for good with the pink-eyed sorceress, and that the two female wizards would end up together.

_She loves her. Not a single doubt about it. But can I love her myself ? My Love emotion is infatuated, but curiously enough, I'm not convinced myself. How is that ? If she is fond of Jinx, why am I not as well ? Why am I doubting ?_

That was a fundamental question. But now, as for the answer…

"Thank you, Love. I had an inkling you would be speaking that way, given my recent emotional imbalance about Jinx…" deadpanned the usually emotionless girl, before eyeing the other emotions one after the other, wondering who would express her opinion or her feelings next.

"As for me, I say you two would make a really good couple ! So I vote yes ! Come on, Master, don't hesitate : I **know** that you'll be… happy !" shrilled a cheering voice.

Raven couldn't suppress a brief smirk at her merriest emotion speaking as usual on the top of her voice.

"I'm not surprised such an enthusiastic emotion as you is that supportive. I wouldn't have expected less from you, Happy !" remarked the Dark Titan.

The pink-cloaked emoticlone made a V-sign with her fingers, grinning wide.

"Please, Master, accept to be with Jinx ! She's just so awesome ! And I love her eyes, like a cat's ! And her funny hair, resembling horns ! And her -"

"CUT IT OUT, PINKIE !"

All eyes glanced worriedly at the menacing emoticlone, dressed in the color of blood…

"Killjoy !" shot back the happy-go-lucky emotion.

The four red eyes narrowed, while the lips parted to bare the teeth, an alarming snarl rising from the "monster's" throat.

"Careful, Happy ! Or you'll regret it, I swear !" screamed the deep demonic voice, which resembled Trigon's.

The threatened one didn't reply, but had the nerve – or the pure folly – to make fun of Rage by mimicking an angry person, arms crossed and silently imitating someone rambling on and on, while rolling her eyes upwards to imply that the complains were a bore.

A loud growl could be heard, and the hellish emoticlone took off, rushing to her impudent sister.

The latter squeaked, eyes wide as the menace dived at her, and floated away in a wink.

Rage followed Happy, no matter where she fled, and finally caught her.

Holding the pink cloak by its front side, the red one narrowed her four red slits even more, a snarl still rumbling at the back of her throat.

"I had warned you, foolish little blabber, but you though yourself smarter. So you _asked_ for it !"

And as she finished, Rage raised her fist slowly, gaining momentum and gathering strength for the blow.

"Stop, Rage ! Let her go, will you ?" snapped a voice close to them.

Knowledge was standing there, frowning.

"I know she irritated you, but you mustn't assault a fellow emoticlone. Happy went too far, and for that, she will get what she deserves. But that will NOT be a beating ! So please, don't go too far and release her. She _**will**_ be punished , but not _that_ way !"

The primitive side of the Dark Titan didn't lower her fist, but instead stared at the emotion wearing glasses, who stared back, no wavering in her determination.

"Knowledge, I know that you always choose the path of reflection and wisdom, and you're the one I respect the most. But this little brat here keeps on babbling on top of her voice, and it upsets me. But most of all, she made fun of me ! Me, Rage ! She may not be afraid of me, but I'll teach her a lesson ! Please let me hit her just once. Just a blow, to teach her respect. Don't prevent me from a single revenge. I've always listened to you about not harming her, but this time, she made fun of me. She deserves punishment from my hand."

Rage's four eyes looked left, as did Happy's two, and Knowledge turned her head in the same direction.

Raven had floated to them and was now standing by her most intelligent emotion.

"Rage, I know that Happy shouldn't have done what she did, and believe me, she **will** get her punishment for that. Trust me, she definitely will." The Dark Titan briefly looked angrily at her upbeat part, showing disapproval for the cheeky behaviour displayed earlier, then turned back to her demonic side. "But hitting one of your sisters isn't acceptable. I understand she got you mad, but I ask you to renounce beating her. Violence isn't the path to follow. I know you already have listened to the voice of reason, which I thank you for, and I trust you will once more make the good choice."

The almost unmanageable emoticlone didn't reply and observed intently her Master, then looked at Knowledge again, and once more at Raven.

Happy gulped, hoping that her violent sister would listen to both her wise elder and her very owner… and already dreading her punishment !

The hellish being let out an irritated sigh and pushed away Happy, who stumbled backwards and ended up sitting on the rocky ground of Nevermore.

"Thank you, Rage. Thank you very much." said Raven.

"Yes, thank you for listening to wise advice. And now, Happy, apologize !" added Knowledge.

"But -"

"You heard Knowledge. She gave you an order." simply remarked Raven, slightly frowning at the pink-clad one now picking herself off the ground.

The hyper girl made a face, clearly pouting, but nevertheless turned to her demonic sister, who eyed her resentfully, and hung her head, pink hood turned in direction of her feet.

"Sorry for making fun of you, Rage. That was… stupid of me."

Raven and Knowledge observed the red-dressed female.

"You're lucky Master and Knowledge took your defense, Pinkie. But I'll tell you this : if you ever dare to lack respect to me again, you'll live to regret it !"

There was a brief silence, until Raven decided it was time to take control again.

"Let's now resume what I called you all for. Please come back with the rest of the emotions and let's proceed."

They did as they had been told, Raven once again getting back in front of them all.

"I would like to hear ALL of you about Jinx. So please, each of you, gather your thoughts about her and get ready to open your heart to me. Who wants to speak next ?"

"I will."

All looks settle on the Green Cloak.

"I say that Jinx has shown courage in sparing you and leaving her team because she couldn't accept her criminal life anymore. She has been courageous as well in waiting for you, Master, days long in the park, and finally has been brave enough to accept becoming one of the Titans, thus going against her initial nature. I'm really attracted to her personality, and she looks good too. So as for me, I'd like you, Master, to stay as close as you can from her. If that means loving her, then so be it. After all, a female loving a female also is a pretty courageous choice in this conservative world where homosexuals are stigmatized and judged by so many. And I'll never say no to a courageous choice !"

Brave had ended her speech by crossing her arms and putting on a quite determined face. The kind that say : _don't be afraid, just grab your guts and go for it !_

"Really convincing a speech, Brave. My gratitude to you for your fortitude and resolution. Your opinion is interesting."

Rae smiled at Brave, one her most fearless sides (the other ones being Rage and Knowledge) who never backed away, no matter the danger.

Then she made a panoramic head movement to peer at the five other emotions.

Her eyes stopped on Rude, one of those who rarely ever minded to share their thoughts.

The orange-dressed girl got the hint and, after yawning, began.

"Well, as for me, I say we don't give a damn about what others think of love between girls. That they agree or not, we don't care. They can as well get lost. So I'll say : go for it, Master, and pair with the pink witch. She's cool, and has shown cheekiness in the past. I liked that, and hope she will come back to it soon. But yeah, I damn vote pro girly love ! Fuck machos and conservatives !" **(3)**

The chakra Titan raised a brow at the final sentence.

"Hum… yeah… Thanks for the… say, "picturesque" way of putting it, Rude ! I'm glad I'm not too often under your influence, for I wouldn't like to regularly cuss. But thank you for your opinion anyway."

The addressee belched.

"You're welcome, Master…"

The delicate and refined Love let out a disapproving "Pffff !" before rolling her eyes upward, her arms crossed.

Rude sniggered as she briefly glanced at her purple sister and started picking her nose.

Rae's eyes were now on Sloth, the laziest emotion when it came down to expressing herself.

The brown-cloaked female sighed, tired in anticipation at the mere _idea_ of having to talk. Like were it **that **tiring…

"Why not ? She already likes you that much, so you won't have any efforts to make in order to convince her to love you back. So, if it's that little demanding, I'm in."

That was just like Sloth. Always considering things from the perspective of the efforts involved. But it was her nature, after all…

"Okay. That's pretty brief, but I appreciate your feedback. Thanks, Sloth !"

The laid back emotion simply briefly nodded to show she did accept the thanks.

There remained only three emotions : Rage, Knowledge and Timid. And, in Raven's mind, these three were those she thought might be the most likely show opposition to that unconventional "strictly female" relationship. She also had had reservations about Brave, a manly-behaving emoticlone who might have seriously doubted about a girlXgirl love, and therefore be against it… while the courageous one had, in fact, and almost unexpectedly, really shown support about it !

But there remained these last 3 emotions, and she wasn't sure about their reactions…

"Knowledge ? Rage ? Timid ?" she called out.

Rage and Knowledge fixed their stare at each other, then turned to Timid.

The grey-cloaked teen swallowed her saliva.

"You… you first… please…" she shyly uttered, almost begging.

The other two gazed at each other again, then the red one sighed and turned to Raven.

"With all due respect, Master, I say that you shouldn't do it. Girls don't go with girls, that's not in the natural order. I know that, nowadays, there are many people going with same-gender partners, and that some accept that, yet I don't. It's not the way it must be. You may think I'm too conservative, or uptight for that matter, yet I stick to my guns. You should instead think about a boy… I don't know, maybe Robin. He's tough, courageous, clever, handsome. He would make a good match. But Jinx, no. Sorry if I sound like a killjoy, but that's how I see things."

Raven discreetly sighed. She knew that her unruly inner self would most certainly make difficulties. And there it was : she disapproved everybody's choice. Well, _almost_ everybody's choice at least, given that Knowledge and Timid hadn't spoken yet.

"I see. Well, no, you're not a killjoy, Rage. And now that I think of it, I find it normal that at least one or two of you would disagree about a female relationship. Should you have been all pro, I would almost have worried, and wondered if things really were normal, if I wasn't dreaming or so. I thank you for your opinion, Rage. And as for Robin, I'm not interested in him. I consider him more as a very good friend, but I don't think I could ever have tender feelings for him. Sorry if I sound killjoy myself here."

Yet the demonic emoticlone shook her head.

"Don't be sorry, Master. I get what you mean and respect it. It's okay, really."

_I'm not used to her being so calm. Especially after we forced her to let Happy be. I thought she would be more furious than that. What can be soothing her that way ?_

It was unexpected indeed… but definitely enjoyable !

After a brief look at Timid, who still shook her head nervously, Knowledge adjusted her spectacles and looked straight into her owner's eyes, her face serious.

"Rage is correct when she says that love between females isn't normal. I mean, we all know that. Homosexuality isn't the usual way to be. Males and females are meant to be attracted by each other for one specific reason : because they need to perpetuate the human species, and they do this by making love and thus creating new life. Babies can be born only via sexual intercourse between men and women. It can't be with a strictly male or strictly female couple. So when I say that homosexuality isn't normal, I'm speaking ONLY from the scientific perspective. ONLY from a biological point of view. Anything else isn't abnormal at all in homosexuality. Just the fact that it cannot meet the fundamental goal of humanity : perpetuate itself by giving birth to new humans."

There was a silence.

"Does that mean you are against a possible love between Jinx and me ?" asked Raven, not quite certain her wisest emotion was done talking.

"Actually, Master, I wasn't completely finished. Just pondering something prior to talking on. And here it is : homosexuality may be different, may not be the natural way, the **biological** way, that is, and yet… Well, to put it simply : it depends if you want to engender life, Master. If you do, then Jinx wouldn't be a reasonable choice. Unless, of course, you imitate the lesbian couples who adopt. But that would deprive you from giving birth. Yet, it depends if you DO want to have babies… or not. If you do, as I said, you should be aiming at a heterosexual relation. But if you don't, then a homosexual one isn't a problem, and should Jinx also not care about having children, then your relation would be absolutely no problem. It all really depends on whether you want to be a mother or not, Master. But, as for me, if you really want to know what I think… I'm not opposed to your being with Jinx. She's a really nice girl, and it seems to me, from what I've seen from her, that she would make you happy and sentimentally well-balanced. So I'm not against it, but, once again, the choice is all yours, and depends on your perspective about having children… or not."

That was a wise, reasonable, clever speech. It said it all. Knowledge had always been logical and mature, knew how to expose her arguments in a manner that made them difficult to be "pulled to pieces". She was a redoubtable adversary when it came down to reasoning, and most of the time made her point and was listened to eventually. The only few occasions on which she had not had the upper hand is when Rage had taken over and controlled Raven's body, like had happened with Dr. Light and Terra.

"Thank you for such a clear and well-thought argumentation. I'm always interested to know what you think, Knowledge." She immediately realized the innuendo unwillingly hidden in her speech. "Not that I'm _**not **_interested in all the others' opinions, mind you !" she added, taking a panoramic look to see if her words hadn't trigger some upset reactions. Yet no. All were still listening normally. Even Rage. So Raven turned back to the "glassed" emotion and finished her speech : "So, I'm pleased to have heard your opinion. And to answer your question, no, I don't want to have babies. It wouldn't be reasonable to spread Trigon's genes any further. It's better I never become a mother. I prefer to have love, but without a family. It's wiser for a half-demon like me. It will avoid possibly causing further havoc from the hands of my offspring."

The silence that welcomed that argument seemed almost awkward.

The Dark Titan finally turned to her shyest emotion, who had no choice left : given that she was the last one having not spoken, she was forced to now.

The twice grey girl, both in clothes and in skin, gulped and licked her lips.

And finally went for it.

"I… I really like Jinx. A lot. But… I'm not sure if it's friendship or… or love. I feel really good with her. It's just that… I'm not sure about… about my feelings for her. I would agree to a love relationship, but… I… I'm not sure it would work. If it's really possible to love… a girl. It would be great if it was possible… but I'm not sure it is. And so… I'm… afraid, Master. Afraid it might end up bad. I… I can't help it. Can't help being afraid. I'm sorry. But still, I would like it if you were with Jinx, Master. I would be happy if you did."

Raven gently smiled at the shy emoticlone.

"Don't feel sorry, Timid. I know the way you are, and know it's in your nature to be worried. I totally sympathize with you. And I'm pleased to hear that, despite your anxiety, you still experience positive feelings about Jinx, and feel good when I am staying with her. And that you would be happy should we be together for good. Thank you for making the effort to share your feelings with your sisters and myself, Timid."

The constantly hesitating side of Raven briefly smiled at her owner.

And there it was. All the emotions had spoken up. And the result of their input was that there were almost all in favour of a possible love relationship between their Master and Jinx. Knowledge, contrary to the rest, was not **openly** favorable : she mostly hinted she would not be against it should the pairing become a reality, and that it might actually balance Raven's emotional scale. And Timid was still doubtful, as she usually was, but she had clearly stated that the sorceresses' love bonding would make her happy.

Raven once again took a good look at each emoticlone in turn, her eyes lingering a bit on Knowledge and Love.

"I wholeheartedly thank you for your feedbacks on Jinx !" she finally told them. "I needed them in order to decide what to do, and if I could actually love a girl. I can now safely ponder our relationship and decide what I will do. Thank you again, all of you." She made a short pause, hesitating, then added : "Where would I be without you ?"

She said goodbye, all cloaked girls bowing to her, then turned around and was about to take off when a voice interrupted her.

"And so, Master, what are you gonna do ? What will you decide ?"

An almost screaming and enthusiastic voice… only one emotion could express herself that positive !

Rae turned back to her emotions and eyed the Pink Cloak, at which Rage was scowling for the loud screaming.

"I'm not completely sure yet, Happy. But your opinions certainly will help me. I'm not promising anything right now, but…" she smiled at them all "…well, you'll see in time !"

And with that said, the empath briefly waved goodbye and took to the sky.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

During that evening's meal, Raven couldn't help glancing at Jinx several times, keeping her face as neutral as she could yet without appearing distant.

She made sure not to do it too often, and avoided making her stare insisting when she did, not to make her fellow magician uneasy or have her teammates notice it.

But Jinx, as for her, realized that Raven was looking at her, and each time their gazes met, the Hex smiled and looked down, focusing on her food, so that nobody could spot the blush discreetly showing on her grey cheeks. Yet she felt flattered about the Goth's attention.

Once dinner was over, the violet-haired teen walked to the pink-haired one.

"Can you come into my bedroom later on ? I must ask you something."

The vertical pupils stuck to the round ones with curiosity, but the face of the half-demon gave nothing away. It was an impenetrable mask of seriousness.

"Okay…" replied Jinx, unsure of what to think of the "invite".

Fifteen minutes later, the "good witch" was knocking on the door of the "good demon".

Rae cautiously half-opened the door to peer outside, then fully opened it.

"Come in" she briefly let out, checking the corridor and finding it absolutely desert.

Jinx entered the "forbidden room" then watched Raven encase the door in black energy.

"What are you doing, Rae ?"

"Sealing the door so that no one can enter my room at an untimely moment."

"But… didn't you say once that no one ever dared to enter here ? Because they were afraid of your reaction if they did ?"

"True. But better safe than sorry. Now, let's go sit on my bed."

They did, and the half-demon stared attentively at the other half-demon.

"I have a question to ask you, Jinx, and I apologize in advance for being so blunt, but I need an answer right now. In fact, it will be better for both of us to know where we stand and what we are for each other. So, tell me, Jinx… what do you feel for me exactly ? How do you consider me, feeling-wise, or relationship-wise, if you prefer ?"

The pink eyes opened wide and the pupils, which were dilated given the scarce light of the room, suddenly retracted, narrowing to the extreme under the effect of surprise.

_Oh my God ! She just asked me… what I felt for her ? Oh gosh, did she figure out_ _?_

"Rae… I- I… well…" The poor Hex felt lost, the words reluctant to come out of her mouth. "Why… why do you want to know that ?" she finally dropped.

The empath sighed deeply.

"Because… I have made a decision. But I can't tell you which one exactly unless you answer my question."

All of a sudden, Jinx's face was so hot, her heart beat so powerfully, her throat was so dry, her hands so clammy…

But the Azarathian's eyes were still on her.

She was waiting for a reply. Patiently, but surely.

"Rae… I… I don't know what to tell you… you're my friend… I really like you… I'm… really happy to be… to be here with you…"

The poor girl was so nervous right this minute. So uneasy. She reminded Raven of Timid, somehow.

Raven wanted to alleviate her friend's trouble and put her in confidence, for her to confess, so she smiled, reached out and grabbed Jinx's hand, which she held in her own and covered with her other hand.

Jinx gasped and briskly lowered her gaze to the two grey hands holding her own in their warm "nest". She felt her face heat up and knew that she was either having a flush, or about to have one, so she instinctively looked down to hide it.

But a hand firmly yet still gently took her chin up, and violet eyes stared into pink eyes.

"Please don't avoid my look. Even if you feel uneasy. Even if you dread blushing. Don't hide what is only natural. And kindly answer my reply : what do you **really** feel for me ? It may not be evident to speak your mind – or, in this case, your _heart_ – but… please do, Jinx !"

And to better punctuate the speech she hoped would give Jinx enough self-confidence to talk her heart out, Raven squeezed the Pink Sorceress's hand.

Jinx was breathing heavily now.

She gulped, then bit her lip.

"Come on. Just say it. It will be okay. Trust me."

The empath's words were reassuring, soothing.

The horned wizard inhaled loudly, licked her lips, and…

"Raven, I… I… I am…"

The Goth gave a small nod, smiling on reassuringly, and squeezed Jinx's hand tighter.

"I am… in love with you... I… I'm sorry…"

The pink-eyed enchantress was too moved to carry on.

She stared down, biting her lip with all her strength, almost to the point it would create a wound and start bleeding, and felt her eyes slightly water.

And what happened next left her speechless for good : Raven drew Jinx's body in her embrace and hugged her tight, her hand caressing the horn-shaped hair.

"Sssssssh… calm down, Jinx… please calm down… let tension away from you… breathe deeply and let your body relax gradually… Everything is okay…"

The black-dressed girl hugged back the blue-cloaked one, trying to fight off her sobbing.

The usually emotionless girl now felt profoundly touched by the way emotional reaction of her magical partner, and kept whispering soothing words to bring peace and tranquility into the moved girl's mind.

Both girls pulled away after a while. Jinx finally wiped her eyes and looked at Raven, but didn't know how to begin.

It was therefore the half-demon who did speak.

"Jinx, you needn't apologize for anything. What would you have to be sorry about ? You love me, and it's nothing to feel sorry about. On the contrary, I'm flattered and honored that you do. I had ended up sensing, even without using my mindreading powers, that you had really powerful feelings for me. More powerful than one would have for a friend, even for a very good friend. And then, for some reason, I started getting more and more attracted to you, hence my watching you several times during meals."

It was Raven's time to suddenly look down, slightly surprising the former H.I.V.E. student.

But before the latter had the chance to say a thing, the empath's head shot back up.

"I wasn't certain of what I really felt for you. Friendship ? Love ? I was in between. And since I didn't know for sure, I had to question my emotions. And once I was done, I felt that I was about to fall for you… for good ! I took some more time to look at you over dinner, to watch your beautiful features, your sweet reactions, your cute smile and… and I knew. I knew I loved you."

The demonic human then put her forehead against Jinx's, and the sixth Titan felt the coldness of Raven's chakra, which made her jolt and move backwards.

"What's that ? It's cold !"

"It's my chakra. That red rhombus gemstone in the middle of my forehead." She pointed at it as she spoke. "It is cold. I don't know why, it's just like that. Anyway…"

Raven drew Jinx's forehead back against her own and stared straight into the pink cat-like eyes.

"Jinx… I love you."

The good witch's mouth was slightly trembling, and she had to make a visible effort to control her vivid emotion.

Her vis-à-vis gazed at her lovingly, patiently waiting for the sacred words to be uttered back.

And at last… they were !

"Raven… I love you too."

The Goth had never been told this simple yet fundamental sentence, therefore her intense pleasure to hear it.

As for the Hex… she was on Cloud Nine ! She had hoped to gain an opportunity to say this one day, but she didn't suspect the day would come that soon.

The violet-haired female started to stroke the pink hair, still staring and smiling at the bad luck girl, who was intensely gazing back at her.

And then, the thrilling moment came.

Raven removed her forehead from her now beloved's, watched her tenderly for a few seconds, then put her arms on Jinx's shoulders and leaned forward.

…closer…

… always closer…

Jinx's heart seemed about to burst as the lips of her henceforth girlfriend came in contact with her own.

The Dark Titan's kiss was as sweet and soft as could be, and Jinx thought she would never be happier as she kissed back, butterflies giving her stomach no rest.

Dark energy flowed out, but curiously enough didn't ruin much : it only made a few books fly off the shelves and the table crash down, surprising more Jinx than Raven. The latter delicately grabbed Jinx's face and gently pulled it back to hers, as the Hex had turned it to watch the damage, then resumed kissing her.

Both mouths moved over each other, but the kiss remained gentle. It was too early yet for things to go further, i.e. for their tongues to get part of the kisses. Snogging never took place immediately in a blooming love. But it would naturally all come in due time.

Their breaths were rushed, and they exhaled much air through their nose as their mouths kept kissing and kissing slowly, nicely, endlessly, their love thirst seemingly never to be quenched. They couldn't get enough, and thought they wouldn't ever have.

Not in a lifetime.

Never.

Raven wrapped her arms around Jinx's shoulders, and reciprocally.

Discrete moans could be heard from both throats as the grey females continued to kiss for minutes.

The dark power kept making books fall off the bookcase and provoked the explosion of a vase, but both girls didn't pay that much attention. They had much better to focus on.

They finally pulled away, and Jinx caressed Raven's cheek, while Raven brushed Jinx's lips with her fingertips.

"Rae… Rae, thank you to no end for loving me ! I thought the day might come, but not before long ! And you made it happen way earlier ! Thanks a lot, Rae ! I love you so much ! I have from the first day I saw your face, during that battle where your hood came down and I then hesitated to fight you, because I was dazed by your beauty. I never suspected you were so attractive, since you always wore that hood. But since then, I have never ceased thinking of you. You're in my mind… and in my heart, Rae !"

The Azarathian chuckled.

"You are as well, Jinx. I really enjoyed your friendship, and I grew closer to you, closer and closer… and I began feeling more, although I wasn't fully sure. But my emotions let me know that they hoped I would end up with you, as a couple. I listened to them and, after pondering it a last time, I knew that I definitely wanted more than just friendship with you. I love you, Jinx, and it's the first time I say these three words. I never did to anybody, as I never got infatuated with anyone. Actually, I thought that love wasn't for me, that I would finish my life on my own. But you came into my life, and showed me I was wrong, and that I could be loved. So, if one of us is to thank the other… it's me ! Thanks, Jinx, thanks for loving a half-demon like me !"

They gazed at each other, then leaned forward again and kissed again, this time a bit feverishly, then moved back and stared, smiling sweetly.

"I think someone will have a very nice night, and will sleep soundly with a smile on her face.." teased Raven.

"Then, there will be two of them…" Jinx teased back.

"I love you, Rae."

"Same here, Jinx."

And indeed, that night, although they were each in her own room, they nevertheless were mentally and emotionally connected, as if they were sleeping side by side.

Their hearts and minds had never experienced such bliss, and for once, they both fell asleep with a nice, tender smile on their lips…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**Author's notes**** : **

**(1) Boys playing poker, Star drawing dresses : Alright, so I've stopped counting the times when authors made Cy & BB play videogames and Star cook (and also raven meditate). I mean, sure it's obviously some interests of theirs, as it clearly appears in the show, but come on, can't authors be a bit o-ri-gi-nal, every now and then, and have them do something else ? Something unusual ? As much as I enjoyed reading sTTories, I was upset reading ****always**** the same type of activities for the Titans. Hence my choice for poker, drawing, and later on chess for Raven.**

**(2)** **emoticlones bowing at Raven : I said in the first "emoticlone-related" chapter that the emoticlones used "Master" as a respectful address to Raven. Their bowing at her also pertains to that deference, which they express to her under all circumstances. That kind of respectful behaviour may seem outmoded, but it is to me one of the most visible manifestations of deference.**

**(3) Fuck machos and conservatives : this also reflects my opinion about these 2 hateful categories. Machos consider women in an inferior manner, and stifle them in their primitive views; as for conservatives, it's the kind to condemn gay love, like it's a sin and gays are gonna burn in hell and yadda yadda yadda. I'm heterosexual, but I HATE homophobia, just as I hate ANY kind of intolerance or identity-related hatred. So yeah, I'm one of the declared enemies of machismo and conservatism !**

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**AND JOY !**

**IT OCCURRED !**

**AT LAST !**

**RAVEN AND JINX HAVE JUST BECOME A COUPLE, UNDER YOUR INCREDULOUS EYES !**

**Aren't you happy for them, Folks ?**

**Oh yeah, I'm sure you are !**

**So, the pivotal moment has finally arrived ! The two heroines of this story have become an item ! It has become a full-fledged love story, with Raven finally returning Jinx's love !**

**I'm so content about this happening at last !**

**I tried to make this as sweet and intense as could be, without overstepping decency's boundaries. I wrote, in the foreword to this sTTory, that I would put a few snogging moments, but nothing more than that. That is, no sex, no intimate petting. This will remain a "clean" fiction. Still, hoped you guys enjoyed the tender moments between the two, and that you kinda empathized to their mutual excitement about their mutual love revelation.**

**And, Oh-my-gosh… did I just type ****over 9'000 words**** ? Man, I didn't think it would amount to that ! I seem to have always more difficulty stopping writing ! But then again, eh eh, don't ya like it when it's stretching ooooon and oooooooooon ? ;)**

**Hoped ya liked it, and that I didn't delay the love declaration too long, and made ya lose patience ! XD**

**Who knows when nXt update will be… but let's X our fingers and hope for more asap, eh !**

**Stay tuned and keep foll' (owing), fav' (oriting) and rev' (iewing) !**

**Much good to all of ya, dear readers !**

**Oh, and if you read this today, On October 31****st**** : a CREEPY Halloween to you all, Folks ! ;)**

**PEACE, LOVE, ECSTASY !**

**(now playing : HERE COMES THE SUN, by the "Fab Four")**

**))))))))))))))))))) Lovemaker ((((((((((((((((**


	11. It was such a fine day, until

**)))))))))) X ((((((((((**

**)))) It WaS sUcH a FiNe DaY, uNtIl… ((((**

**)))))))))))))))))))))))))) (((((((((((((((((((((((((((**

**Hey You !**

**Thanks time : **_**IcyKixz236**__**, **_**you made my day with a very interesting, pertinent, clever review, the kind I would like to receive more often (I especially thank you for the first point you mentioned, about Raven's attitude for her first kiss… my bad there); **_**I'm a Lover not a Hater**_**, much gratitude for favoriting this fiction, and please don't hesitate to review, even if you haven't much to say : at least, that'll make more reviews (but I wish you'd have 1-2 things to share about the **_reason_** why you like the chapter); **_**nharnitz**_**, gratitude galore for both favoriting AND following this : doing both of these actions **_**simultaneously**_** is one of the things I value the most, together with a good review that states what ya liked in the chapter; **_**knt709**_**, your following pleases me as well.**

**I also think that, perhaps to some of ya, the transition from friendship to love was a tad too quick. Agreed… but ya know, I didn't want to make their "getting closer to each other" stretch too much in time and last for 2-3 more chapters, so I kinda speeded it up a bit. Sorry if it's rushed ! (I'm not too happy with this myself, so yeah… if ya were looking for a flaw in this story, here's one…)**

**Also one point to mention : ya noticed, and will notice further, that Raven's power isn't going off too much during kissing time. That, perhaps, surprised ya. Here is the reasoning behind it : Rae is still meditating a lot, now more than ever, to actually channel her dark energy when she **_**does**_** display her emotion / her love. Meditating enables her to keep control over her power, and makes it so that the latter remains in check even during very emotional moments. Which in turn enables Raven to enjoy the kisses to the maximum, without being bothered that much by her own energy.**

**Any remarks, suggestions or questions ? Keep'em coming !**

**N'JOY !**

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

_Mammoth, See-More, Billy Numerous and Gizmo emerged from the hole in the front window of the jewellery, the first one carrying a bag of medium size in which the gang had collected as many precious items as they were able to._

_They ran to the corner of the street and were about to take the turn…_

…_when five figures emerged from there !_

_Needless say the villains didn't have to look twice to know who were those five._

"_Another try… another failure." dropped the leader, a smirk showing on his face._

"_Shut the hell up, Birdie ! We'll settle the score with you bloody killjoys once and for all !" was the reply of the small mastermind._

"_Easier said than done…" Cyborg poked fun at the evil midget._

"_Let's take those jerks down !" yelled Numerous, impatient to let rip at his enemies._

_That started it all._

_But it didn't last that long._

_Raven soon had wrapped See-More in the cold embrace of her power, Starfire had knocked out Billy Numerous, managing to locate him while raining starbolts on the mass of ringers, Beast Boy had used multiple shapes in a row to fight Gizmo, and his swift morphing as well as the judicious choice of his animals had given him the decisive advantage to beat the short bald guy, and Cyborg as for him had finally shaken Mammoth with a full-intensity blast of his sonic cannon, after the huge hybrid had done his best to dodge them while trying to figure out a way to flee with the loot._

_But Mammoth was the only one who actually wasn't immediately neutralized. He made believe he was unconscious, and while Cyborg turned to stress out the promptness of their victory, the large foe quickly grabbed the products of the theft and rushed to the other end of the street._

_But just as he was about to reach it…_

"_Where do you think you're going ?"_

_He froze in his tracks._

_**That voice… No… No, it can't be… **_

_But just as if the speaker had guessed his thought, a silhouette emerged from the shadows to his right and stood square opposite the fugitive, arms crossed._

"_Jinx ?!" he asked in disbelief._

"_Jinx" she echoed, although on a different tone._

_She turned her head to her left, in direction of the Titans._

"_It's okay, guys, I'll handle him. Don't worry, it'll be a cinch. The jewels will be back where they belong in no time, and these four straight back into prison."_

"_Okay" came the scream of Robin._

_Mammoth couldn't believe what he had just seen._

"_What ?! You… You work with the Titans ?!"_

"_I do, Big Beast. I'm the sixth Titan now, and it'll be a pleasure to show you how much I improved thanks to their training sessions. Ready to get your butt kicked, you crap ?"_

_**Crap ? She's calling me… crap ? And what's with her arrogant behaviour ? Did she forget we were close friends ?**_

"_Jinx, why are you talking to me that way ?! We used to be friends, remember ? You respected me ! So why this scorn ? Did they brainwash you or what ?!"_

"_We __**used**__ to be, Scum. We no longer are. And as far as I'm concerned, you can become my next victim without problem. I won't hesitate a second to use my full strength against you. So better be obedient and hand over that bag, that'll save you bruises and broken ribs !"_

_The hybrid just stood there, flabbergasted, wondering what had happened to his former friend, who now treated him as a trifling wrongdoer and was ready to give all she had to take him down._

"_Jinx, how can you be part of the Titans ? They are our worst enemies ! These bastards must have erased your – AAAAAAAAAH !"_

_Before he could finish his sentence, Jinx had briskly raised her hand and immediately cast a powerful and swift pink wave at him, sending him back to the concrete and proving him, if need be, that she was serious about using her full power if she had to… although that was only a mere warning, far from her worst attacks !_

"_Shut up, Scumbag ! NEVER use that word again to refer to my friends !" she yelled, her face distorted by pure hatred, as she took a few menacing steps in his direction._

_He sat up, backing away and trying to stand back up, yet still staring at her, in case she would cast another "surprise attack"._

"_Jinki, how can you call those guys your "friends" ? They are not, they can't be ! They are the H.I.V.E. enemies. Your real friend, it's ME ! Have you forgotten everything ? Why are you helping them and attacking me ? Me, your friend Mammoth ?"_

_She snorted disdainfully at this._

"_My poor Mammoth, it's all behind now ! You're no longer my friend ! You're my __**foe**__, while __**they**__ are my buddies ! Better put that in your small brain, if you can ! And now, hand over the bag without raising a stink, 'kay ?"_

_He still was distraught at the complete change his once confident had undergone._

_But suddenly shaking his puzzlement off, he decided that he wouldn't comply with her order, and while he didn't want to hurt her, given their past friendship, he also refused to obey her right now, as she was treating him as a common criminal, no more than that. Him, her former __**best friend**__ !_

"_NO !" he screamed and turned around to run off._

_But an impressive incensed holler echoed in the street and, in the following seconds, an extremely violent magical attack hit the betrayed criminal and cast him down._

_He winced horribly as he felt pain and burn spread through his organism._

_He heard footsteps and, the next minute, platform boots stopped in front of his face._

_The former bad girl knelt down and grabbed his hair, which she pulled hard, her grip unusually violent._

_She lowered her face to his, her features a mix of cruelty and contempt._

"_Forget the Jinx you knew. She's dead. I'm a new girl now, and I can beat the hell out of anybody. So don't imagine, even for a second, that you have the slightest chance against me. You're no match to me, Loser !"_

_He winced as she pulled his hair even more fiercely and bared her teeth in a horrible grimace of hate._

"_J… Jin…ki… don't…"_

_And he put his hand on her arm, pushing it down to try and have her let go of his hair._

"_WHAT ?! YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR BIG DIRTY HAND ON ME ?! HOW DARE YOU ?!" she vociferated on the top of her voice, and pulled his hair terribly hard in a violent frenzy, making him moan from pain._

"_Don't EVER touch me again, Bastard ! You lay a single finger on me… and you'll see ! You got that, piece of crap ?!"_

_He didn't want to hurt her, but if he didn't react and she kept pulling…_

_Perhaps she would stop pulling in a few seconds… he could wait a bit and see if she decided to let go of him. That would avoid him to attack her, in order to force her to release him. Because although he didn't recognize that "new Jinx", he still couldn't admit that she had become a deadly foe to him._

"_On second thought, I think you deserve a harsh punishment. The __**harshest**__ one, actually ! You've asked for it, Scumbag !"_

_To his horror, in her raised hand, a pink globe swelled always more and more, becoming a huger and huger sphere of power, gaining a lethal dimension._

"_Say hello to your ancestors for me, you Big Nothing !"_

_And, as the scream of the usually fearless monster froze in his throat, he watched with the worst dread as she jerked her hand down, casting the now enormous pink ball straight at his head…_

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Mammoth briskly opened up his eyes, breathing fast, and blinked repeatedly in the darkness.

Evidently, he wasn't dead. And evidently as well, he neither was he in a street of Jump City.

Just as logically, he was lying on a bunk, in a cell of the prison. Without Jinx or even the Titans, but with his three fellow criminals.

He did his best to steady his breath, lost in thought.

_A dream ! Of course ! Just a stupid dream ! Or rather, a nightmare. Damn, what a horrible one ! Jinki killing me ! Worst thing ever ! Fuck, what a nightmare !_

He may be huge and fearless in everyday life, but really frightening visions, in reality or in dream, was still something that could unnerve him.

"Hey Mammoth !"

The hybrid turned his head to the right, knowing whom the whisper originated from.

"You had a nightmare, eh, Man ?" asked the eyeball guy on a low voice, to avoid waking up one of the other two.

"Yeah. And a pretty creepy one. Jinx was part of the Titans, and she treated me as shit before killing me !" the hairy creature hurriedly whispered, still somewhat freaked out.

"Dammit ! That must be one of the worst things to dream of, especially since you two were close !"

"You said it, See-More ! One of the worst ! I hope I never have this dream again."

There was a very short silence, troubled only by the two snores originating from the top bunks, then the African-American boy chose to share something with his teammate.

"You know, by some strange case, I was myself thinking about Jinx at the same time. You know, wondering where she was, if she was alone or had found someone to stay with, if she still continued robbing or had made a break with criminal activity… all these things… so while you were dreaming of her – or rather, "nightmaring" of her, although the word doesn't exist -, I was thinking about her. Curious coincidence, eh ?"

"Yeah. But you know, See-More, that hints good enough at how much we miss Jinx. Would we dream or think of her, if we didn't ? I consider these to imply that she somehow is still on our minds."

"Makes sense indeed. It may well be the outer manifestations of our subconscious, in which Jinx's souvenir is still vivid. Her image is somehow projected on the "inner screen" of our thoughts and preoccupations."

There was a snort from the other side of the room.

"You know, See-More, you're pretty clever for a thief. I wonder if you wouldn't be better in a university or stuff."

The eyeball guy chuckled.

"Eh eh, thanks, Mate !"

Both had become closer, and actually were bonding for good, teammates turning into friends.

Later, that same morning, while the gang was doing the morning stroll in the prison's courtyard, Gizmo asked his crew to listen to him, making sure to stop talking when they were coming within a guard's earshot.

"Guys, my plan's ready ! And guess what ? IT's ready **for tonight** ! Yeah, that early ! I've been gathering enough info and material to make it happen that quickly. But of course, I'll need your help. So listen carefully, coz I'm not gonna repeat it 5 times. At most a second time if needed. Pay attention, coz it's our freedom that's at stake…!"

And he started explaining.

It took him no more than seven minutes, and when he had finished, Billy and See-More looked at him with smiles on, Mammoth remaining neutral. Him and Gizmo had been at loggerheads lately, and the huge being didn't want to give the midget too much satisfaction by showing enthusiasm about one of his plans.

"Folks, I tell you, tonight's the night ! We'll break free from this crappy place. And once we've found out a good hideout, it will be time to prepare other plans. Not for a robbery, but to trick both the Titans and Jinx into a trap, and get rid of them all together. It would be great if we could actually trap them **all six together** somehow, so we can kill them all simultaneously…!"

Mammoth recalled his dream, in which Jinx worked with the Titans, and gulped…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

There was a slight movement.

There, under the eyelids.

And she finally opened her eyes.

A slow blink.

Another one.

Lying on her back, she stared at the ceiling.

_Did it really happen ? Did she really say she loves me ? Or did I just dream it ? I wish she really did. And that kiss… it was so good, yet… was it only __**real**__ ? Did it actually take place, or was it just a dream ? It seemed so real… But after all, I'm just waking up, and it could as well have been a pretty realistic dream._

She closed her eyes, frustrated.

_Mmmmmh… I don't know. And it kills me not to know. But what can I do ? I'll just see how she behaves with me today._

The grey-skinned girl let out a long sigh, upset that what she had thought was real may just actually be pure fantasy.

She finally turned to rest on her flank… and started, goggling !

There she was, sitting on her bed in the half-light, observing her, a soft smile on her thin lips !

"Morning. Sorry for scaring you..." the dull voice whispered, but with less dullness and actually more warmth than usual.

Jinx swallowed, then smiled.

"Morning. I didn't hear you come in, so you surprised me. But needless apologize. Besides, I'm so delighted to see you here that I can't be mad at you for even the slightest thing."

"Very kind of you. You didn't hear me because I didn't enter here through the door, but directly phased through the wall. I just wanted to watch you slumber, hope that you don't mind my intrusion. You look really beautiful in your sleep, you know ?"

The last part was not uttered in her usual neutral voice, but in one where one could clearly make out the tease. It was a tone Jinx hadn't heard from Raven, but she really liked it !

And she also felt relieved : if the half-demon had been staring at her in her sleep, and was now telling her that she looked beautiful, it implied that the events she was doubting about minutes earlier had really taken place the previous evening. And that relieved her so much.

"Thanks, Rae. And no, I don't mind your coming here while I was asleep. I actually find this attention… sweet of you !" A brief silence. "Listen, it will probably sound stupid to you, but when I woke up, I was wondering whether what had happened last evening was real or not. I was unsure if it had actually occurred or if it was only a dream of mine. I mean, after all, I was just waking up, so it _could_ have been a dream. But still, it was silly of me to doubt."

Raven shook her head, which wasn't easy to make out in the half-light of the room.

"It isn't silly at all. As you said, it might have been a possible confusion between dream and reality. So it's only normal that, upon waking up, you may question your thoughts and wonder if they relate to something who **did** happen… or was only a product of your dreams ! Nothing stupid about it. And in case you want a definitive proof that what took place yesterday was real…"

She left her sentence unfinished, but completed it her own way : by lying into the bed, closing her head, laying her hand on the former sleeper's cheek and bringing her lips to hers.

As they shared a tender morning kiss, Jinx sneaked her arm around Raven's neck and let her hand wander into the violet hair, stroking it gently as the kiss lasted.

The empath, as for her, incessantly caressed the back of the pink "curser", which the latter really dug.

Dark energy still sent a chair flying, and made the curtains flit about, but there fortunately was no major damage.

"Rae, I love you !" Jinx whispered in a rushed voice, as she breathed heavily, extremely stirred. "You mean as much as can be for me ! And I don't care about any boy, or any other girl in the world ! There's only YOU ! And I want us to be happy together, against all odds !"

The cloaked girl snorted happily.

"That's sweet of you. I'm really moved by such kind words. I also want to stay with you and cherish you, Jinx. I know that it won't go by itself to love each other, because despite this world's modernity, there still are plenty of conservative minds. You know, homophobes, who hate gays and certainly wouldn't hesitate a second to attack lesbians. But as for me, I don't mind the risks : you're worth it, my Jinx !"

Suddenly, an idea popped up into the addressee's mind.

"Why don't you call me 'Jinki' ? That's what Mammoth called me."

She instantly regretted it, as it meant rubbing it in. She was happier now, true, but she hadn't forgotten her dear friend, and thought of him every now and then. And pronouncing his name had suddenly revived the hurt.

The pensive look of the Hex, whose eyes had slipped off Raven's, gave away her concern.

"Are you thinking about Mammoth ? You miss me, I'm sure."

Jinx looked back into Raven's eyes and found them worried.

"Yeah… I miss him. And I hope I will see him again someday."

"I'd rather not call you 'Jinki' then. For it will remind you of him, and sadden you…"

The cat-eyed witch made an effort to smile.

"No, no it will be alright, Rae. I ensure you it will. It will remind me of him, but for the best. It won't make me sad, but happy. So please, do call me 'Jinki'. That way, we both have a little name, a nickname for each other."

"As you wish… Jinki !"

Despite the lack of light, the once villain could distinctly see her beloved wink at her.

"I want your lips…" murmured Jinx in a thrilled voice.

"With… pleasure" whispered Raven, also excited at the idea of kissing again.

This time, the Goth chose to try something else and, after a long, passionate kiss, let her mouth wander down to the Hex's neck, where she planted fiery kisses.

Jinx moaned approvingly, enjoying this new treat, and caressing the silky hair of the one pleasing her that much.

"How was that, Jinki ?"

"I adored it, Rae ! Many thanks for that ! It was… incredible !"

"Glad you enjoyed it as much as I liked doing it !"

The cloaked teen lay back on her flank and gazed into her lover's eyes, grinning. Her hand stroked the Hex's cheek again. The horned sorceress grabbed that hand and laid a kiss in the palm.

"Listen, my Love…" started the empath. "We'll have to be very careful, to avoid blowing our cover. For the time being, I prefer we don't tell anybody, as we don't know how they would react. I mean, not even Starfire : she is a very kind and open girl, but I fear she might repeat it to the boys and… I don't want them to be aware about us. At least not for the time being. I prefer to probe them, incidentally asking them question about homosexuals, as if nothing, and only one after the other. I'll wait until I'm alone with each one before starting a talk, and will slip a remark about homosexuality in the conversation… and see how they will react. Thus will I know what they think of gays and therefore know if it would bother them or not to learn that we are lesbians. Is that okay with you to keep it secret for now, Jinki ?"

"I trust you completely, Rae. I know you're doing for the best. I won't breathe a word, even to Starfire. And who knows, perhaps most of them will be okay with our love…"

Raven was thoughtful in that moment, and didn't reply…

_Will they accept us how we are ? Or will they condemn us ? It's really terrible to dread your very friends' reactions, to dread the opinions of those dearest to your heart…_

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Breakfast was over. And for the first time, neither Jinx nor Raven felt the least embarrassed as they had looked at each other while swallowing their food.

They naturally made sure not to gaze at the other too many times and for too long at a time, to avoid raising any suspicion about their new relationship. But each of the few glances they shared made them very happy. They finally had someone to love, and this alone enhanced their existences a lot.

As the meditation disciple rose from her seat, the other half-demon immediately joined her, eager to spend time with her.

But Starfire reached Jinx before the latter could get to Raven.

"Friend Jinx, would you like to join me for a hairstyling session ? I very much would like to do it with you. And besides, I would most certainly be delighted if you could teach me how to get the same haircut as you ! I just find it so beautiful !"

Jinx watched her, hesitant, and bit her lip.

"Well I…"

Her cat's eyes flew to the violet orbs, which were watching her.

"Star, can you please wait a minute ? I'll be back right away."

"Yes, of course, friend Jinx. I am waiting for you."

The black-clad teen walked over to the blue-cloaked one.

"Rae, Star is asking me to do hairstyling with her… I would like to do something with you, but I honestly don't want to disappoint her either. I refused last time she proposed me something, and don't feel like doing it for the second time in a row. Do you mind if I spend some time with her ?"

The empath smiled nicely at her fellow magician.

"No, I don't mind at all. Star is a very sweet girl, and would certainly be forgiving for your refusing again, yet she would most likely be disappointed. Even if she wouldn't show it. No problem, you can join me later when you're done. I'll be on the roof, this time : I want to meditate, and for once, we have a mild autumn day, not too cold, so I thought it would be nice staying up there while it's still sunny and, who knows, maybe somewhat hot. Just join me afterwards, okay ?"

"Okay, thank you. I'll be glad to join you later on."

Then Jinx discreetly mouthed the words _I love you_, which made Raven's grin widen. The Dark Titan, after a quick glance around, mouthed the expected reply _Me too_, and it was the Hex's turn to beam.

Jinx then left with Starfire, while Raven floated away, before phasing through the ceiling to reach the roof faster.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Two hours later, the roof door opened and the platform boots quietly stepped towards the levitating figure intoning the same three words.

The Pink Titan silently walked over to her girlfriend and was about to wrap her arms around the shoulders of the hovering body when the quiet voice sounded.

"Hi, my Love !"

Jinx froze.

"How… How did you know it was me ?"

Rae opened her eyes and smirked.

"Have you forgotten that I can sense things ?"

Jinx smiled then walked around Raven and, positioning herself behind her, wrapped her arms around the blue-clad shoulders, resting her head against the Azarathian's.

Rae immediately encased the roof door in black, sealing her.

"Thanks, Love… but it's not cautious, you know. What if someone had burst out on the roof right this moment ? I sealed the door, but if I hadn't…" warned the empath.

The horned witch smiled.

"I know, Rae, I know… But I couldn't help it. Besides, who would come on the roof of the Tower, and for what reason ?"

"Well, it would indeed be rare, but who knows…? It could still happen, sometimes." She briefly paused. "It's just that… we have to be careful, as I told you. But thank you for the sweet attention."

The violet-haired turned her head around and tilted it back, face to the sky.

The pink-haired one grinned and lowered her face over her beloved's, then gently tasted the Azarathian's lips.

They kissed slowly for long seconds, breathing faster and even letting quiet moans, Rae stroking Jinki's hair, Jinki caressing the stroking hand.

When they parted, both looked at each other with so much tenderness. The formerly emotionless wizard evidently wasn't used to display so much feeling, all this was new to her. But she was excited about it. And felt happier and happier.

"I'm all yours" whispered the former H.I..V.E. student, blinking slowly.

"Same here" murmured the girl once destined to bring the world destruction, as she breathed deeply.

They gazed very lovingly at each other, nictating as in slow motion.

Finally, Raven spoke up.

"Are you ready for your first meditation, Jinki ?"

"As long as I'm with you, Rae, I'm ready for just anything !"

The female with the gemstone snorted, visibly flattered.

"So, first of all, sit crisscross applesauce. It's what we call the "lotus position" in meditation. Then, stretch your arms, like that, and join the tips of your thumbs and forefingers, that way."

She showed it as she spoke, then waited until her beloved had performed all the actions, and finally continued her explanation.

"Close your eyes and repeat slowly these three words : "_Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos ! Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos ! Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos ! Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos !_"

Jinx did as she had been told and started intoning the mantra.

"Good. Make sure to keep repeating at the same slow pace. No rushing. Slowness is essential to help you relax and open up the doors of your conscience. If you do it correctly, you will soon find yourself lost in another dimension, and forget about the real world. In that other dimension, the spirit rules your senses, and your soul will find soothing, then peace, and possibly bliss."

Both girls practiced again and again, their minds at rest, their hearts lighter, their souls in a completely different dimension, where everything was ethereal and intended to bring peace to the meditator.

The endless river of time flowed by slowly, so slowly.

The breeze blew, but the girls didn't feel it.

The sun shone, but the two motionless beings didn't feel its warm caress.

The birds sang their autumn song, but the two humans didn't hear any of it.

Everything from the material world was gone to them.

Their bodies were still there, hovering over the concrete surface… but their minds and their souls were absent, lost in the spirit dimension.

Seconds went by.

Minutes.

A whole hour.

Nothing seemed about to disturb the two grey-skinned focusing females hovering above the roof, as they kept on slowly uttering the same sequence of words, their minds having connected to a superior state of consciousness.

Jinx felt at peace, an incredibly deep peace that relaxed her whole being and brought her real bliss, one she hadn't experienced in her whole life…

At some point, though, she felt warmth on her cheek. The sense of touch wasn't as inflected as were vision and hearing.

She therefore interrupted the mantra and opened up her eyes.

Raven was floating in sitting position, right in front of her, arm stretched out to her, hand resting on her cheek.

A smile graced her face, eyes filled with tenderness.

"I guess that's enough meditation for today, Jinki…" said the dull voice.

The addressee smiled softly and put her own hand over the empath's.

"It was… very interesting. It's as if… I don't know… it was as if I had lost consciousness… as if my mind wasn't in my body anymore… I'm not too sure, because I began chanting your mantra, and I was aware of me doing it, but then… then I'm not too sure what happened… I can't exactly remember…"

The experienced meditator snorted, blinking as if in slow motion.

"That's what trance state is about : losing consciousness of your surroundings, and even of your own body. Your mind enters what is known as 'the spirit dimension', a parallel world where things are strictly immaterial. Your main senses seem to have become numb : you don't see, hear, smell anything. The only thing your body still does is repeat the mantra again and again. It's as if time had somehow stopped for you."

Her lips stretched upward even more.

"I'm glad you liked the experience, Jinki."

"I did, Rae ! I did ! And I'll be eager to renew it !"

They stared at each other, smiling tenderly, then the former baddie leaned forwarded, inciting the once cursed girl to imitate her. **(1)**

"BEEEP ! BEEEP ! BEEEP !"

The two communicators rang in unison at Raven'x and Jinx's sides.

"Noooo… not now…" the Hex deplored, smiling in a sorry way.

"Yeah, sometimes it just rings at the wrong time…" remarked the Goth.

The violet-eyed half-demon nevertheless quickly kissed the pink-eyed one, leaving her lips a few seconds on hers, then pulled away, winked with a smile, then retrieved her T-com from her belt and opened it.

During this sequence of actions, Jinx grinned wide at Raven, took out her own communicator and opened it as well.

On the screen was Robin's face.

"Hello Team ! I remind you that we will have a training session this afternoon, starting at 3:30 p.m. I'm contacting you now in case you would like to practice a bit before lunch. I'm counting on you all to do your best at the time. Good luck !"

His face vanished from the screen and the communication ended.

"My first training ! I'm kinda excited about it, you know ! I'm looking forward to testing my limits, and try to improve each time !" exclaimed the sixth Titan.

"I'm sure you do. Now, given that it's your first training, you will certainly be asked by Robin to have a good look at us all as we do the training sequence, to see what is to be done, how to do it and so on. He may eventually ask you to give it a try yourself, but possibly also dispense you of the whole thing. Although, knowing him, he may probably propose you to try and do it" explained the cloaked teenager.

"I'll do it with pleasure !" beamed Jinx. "I'll give all I can for the Teen Titans and show I deserve to be on the team !"

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Robin let his gaze wander on his five teammates, as they arrived at the meeting place, on the side of the sparring ground.

He noticed that Raven had kept her hood down, while she generally had it up already when she arrived for training, even when she was only the last one to go. The blue hood was always over her violet hair prior to the beginning of the whole event. Seeing her arrive with head uncovered was… unusual.

But given that his mind was already on the forthcoming task, he didn't wonder any further and simply assumed Raven wanted to change something in her routine. **(2)**

Once they were all there, waiting for him to speak, he started.

"Right. Today's time for a new session. I hoped you took time to exercise a bit these past days. As you know, it is of primordial importance that we maintain our quality level in fight, and possibly raise it. I'm aware you already know it all, but I'm saying it especially for our new Titan, Jinx, which I once again thank for joining us. After a past of criminal, she has decided, with much sagacity, to join our righters-of-wrong group, choosing to become a superheroine after being a villain. All our gratitude for your help, Jinx !"

He smiled at his new teammate as he ended his speech.

"Yes, thank you so very much for becoming a Titan. It was not easy at first, I am sure, because you used to fight the Titans. But you made the correct choice, and I say bravo to you for doing so !" cheered Starfire.

"Yeah, it's definitely courageous of you to become one of those you battled before. You're the first criminal I see change side. Therefore, congratulations for doing so !" said Cyborg.

"Guess you understood that good was better than evil. So yeah, kudos to you for choosing the right thing to do" stated Beast Boy.

Raven said nothing but intensely stared at Jinx.

The "target" of all the thanks, congratulations and praises was really moved by such touching declarations. She quickly looked at all those who had spoken, then at the one still silent.

The girl with the gemstone still didn't talk, but she nodded, smiling, and she dared a quick wink, which, given the context, didn't give anything of their relationship away : the others knew the two sorceresses were now close friends, spending much time together, and they would therefore assumed the wink was merely a basic sign of nice complicity. A sign of _friendship_. None of the four other Titans would have guessed that there actually was more than amity between the two pale girls.

It was the new member's turn to speak now.

"Thank you everybody for your kind words, and mostly for welcoming me in your team. After all, we used to be enemies, you and I, and you could have refused me, suspecting that my will to join the Teen Titans was mere make-believe, and that it was part of a H.I.V.E. plan to take you down by infiltrating your group. You really could have believed that, and rejected me… yet you _didn't_, and instead accepted me. And for this, I'll never be grateful enough ! Thank you guys ! Thank you with all my heart !"

She grinned at all of them, her gaze lingering on Raven, although she made sure not to exaggerate her stare at the gothic teen.

"Alright. Let's begin." ordered the Boy Wonder. "Jinx, I propose you to watch how the first ones do it, and when you consider yourself ready, you can give it a try. You can even go as last, if you want. And if you prefer to stick to watching the training for this first attendance, you can as well. Nobody forces you to take part. It's all up to you."

"Thanks, Robin. I think it will take part, but certainly among the last" she replied.

"No problem" he concluded.

The superheroes all faced the sparring ground, ready for an "afternoon exercise" session.

"I'm first !" screamed Beast Boy.

He positioned himself at the entrance of the filed, and after a few seconds, started running, soon turning into a cheetah.

The first trial was a speed challenge that consisted in the dodge of enemy shots. Those emerged from numerous laser units affixed on a wall, which fired in an almost continuous sequence.

The green cheetah easily avoided all shots and turned into a chimpanzee for the next round.

It was target practice, to test accuracy of the attacks, and naturally, the goal was to aim as precisely as possible and hit as many targets as could be.

The chimp' grabbed several of the pebbles gathered there for the entrants and threw them with as much precision as he could, but did miss one nevertheless.

After was strength test. This time, it was about breaking solid wooden barriers blocking access to the next level.

The huge green bull, launched at full speed against the obstacles, broke them all open, making it to the next stage.

Time had come for close combat. Several droids, designed specially for the Titans, came out and circled the shapeshifter.

The latter turned into a gorilla and started punching the robots out of the way. He did quite well, and was almost done, when one of the two left-over ones, approaching him while he was busy with the second remaining droid, pressed the extremity of his hand against the green body.

An electric shock coursed through the resistant body and made the great ape release the last robot and collapse.

Then was a skillfulness test : the entrant had to catch a key put on a hook at the end of a hanging rope without being touched by rotating rays resembling lasers.

The green bat made its way amidst the threatening beams and soon reached the key. Alas, upon returning, he flew a tad too fast, self-confidence in his success intoxicating him. The tip of a wing hit a laser and his failure ensued.

Last came a resistance test. A very heavy metal panel was slowly lowered above him and it was up to him to find a way to lift it back up.

He chose an elephant as his ultimate form and pushed firmly, gradually bringing the mass into its original position.

He exited the exercise field and once he was back with his friends, he didn't even tried to hide his frustration.

"Damn, why did I fail three times ? Hell, I should be able to do better ! I already have !"

He had his arms crossed on his chest and a pretty grumpy expression on his features.

"I think you did pretty good" Jinx tried to comfort him. "I mean, after all, you failed only by very little. You almost made it, even in you defeats. That's still praiseworthy, I'd say."

"I agree with Jinki…I mean, _Jinx_ !" said an embarrassed Raven, cursing her slip of the tongue. She certainly didn't want the others to know she had a pet name for the "Badlucker". It may be a hint to their **really** close relationship. "You did far from bad !" the Goth hastened to add. "Failing by a hair is actually good. You should worry if you had failed earlier in the tests. _That_ would have been preoccupying. In your case, I think like… Jinx : you did pretty good !"

The morpher obviously didn't seem convinced.

"Mmmmmmph, yeah…"

Robin turned to him.

"It was far from bad, but still… you can do better. I know it. And you do as well. You'll have to practice some more, notably precision, as I could see from the target and the key's challenges. But it was still acceptable, as for me."

BB didn't reply, but went on pouting.

Jinx whispered in Raven's ear.

"He looks really cross…"

She nodded and replied just as quietly.

"He doesn't like failing. I mean, he hates it even more than others. He's really touchy and easily upset when his results don't meet his expectations. Besides, Robin's right : he used to do it better."

"I'm next !" screamed Cyborg, standing in a determined stance at the entrance of the training field.

The next second, the African- American bolted forward.

A shield, created by a new software installed in his arm, protected him from the laser beams, yet one of the latter viciously aimed down and got his foot, triggering a signal on the control panel in front of Robin. A red remark appeared onscreen, stating the hit received by the entrant, and therefore the failure for the first test.

The rest went just fine… until the skillfulness trial, Cy also got hit by one of the rotating rays, just as he tried to get away after catching the key.

Once he was back, he appeared half in earnest, half in jest.

"Oh Man, why did I get hit by those lasers ?"

The blue half-demon watched him, and felt the need to comfort him.

"Don't worry, you did really well. And just as with Beast Boy, you were that close to passing those two tests. I don't consider that a failure, but simply something improvable."

"I agree with Raven" added Jinx. "When one almost manages a flawless performance, it can be regarded as pretty good. It's not a failure to me."

As she spoke, her vertical pupils kept switching between Cyborg and Raven, to gain both's approvals.

"Exactly" concluded the Azarathian.

"Mmmmh… yeah… maybe you're right…" half-admitted the Titan Tech.

"I want to go next ! Can I ?" asked Star, looking at the leader.

"Please do" he agreed.

The Tamaranean did even better than her male teammates before. The only glitch occurred at the accuracy test, with one of her starbolts barely missing its target, hitting just the outer edge of it.

When she came back to the control panel, where Rob had been monitoring her results, her face showed radiance.

"It was almost perfect ! I am happy !" Then she turned to the changeling and the half-robot. "You see, that is the right spirit to be in. Even if I have failed just one time, I am still enthusiastic about my doing. Because I know that it was close to perfect."

"Yeah, okay…" replied Cy.

BB reluctantly nodded.

"That's a good spirit indeed" remarked Jinx. "I'm happy for you, Starfire."

"Same here" added Raven. "I like your attitude, Star. Failure by really little has to be put in perspective and relativized, like you did. If the Titans miss that rarely, and only by a hair, it means our level is still high, quality-wise."

The red-haired alien beamed intensely at her female friends.

"Thank you so much for your support, Friends Raven and Jinx !"

Robin came round.

"Okay, there remains you two and me" he announced, his gaze on the two half-demons. "Who wants to go next ? Jinx, you want to try now ?"

"Actually, I prefer to go last, if you don't mind" she replied.

"I don't." He stopped watching the pink-haired one to focus on the violet-haired one. "Then, will you go next, Raven, or do you prefer to wait the following turn ?"

"I want to go right before Jinx. So please do, Robin."

"Alright then."

And as he prepared for the training, the pink enchantress moved nearer to the violet one.

"You did it on purpose, waiting to go right before me, right ?"

"I did. I wanted to stay with you as long as possible. That's why I had already decided that I would go either immediately before or immediately after you."

"You're so considerate to me, Rae…"

The Cloaked Titan quickly glanced at the others, then leaned to her girlfriend's ear and whispered the sweetest words.

"That's because I love you, Jinki"

The black-clad female smiled softly and, after checking on the others as well, she lovingly whispered : "And I love you just as much, Rae".

The demonic human smiled tenderly at her beloved.

Robin, as for him, had been training hard to improve his skills on and on. And he had managed to reach an impressive level of precision, rapidity, skillfulness, resistance and even strength.

His teammates watched him in awe as he passed test after test with brazen success.

But, during the very last seconds of the key challenge, a ray hit him. It could have as well missed him, it was only a matter of an inch, at most.

The Boy Wonder appeared slightly upset when he reached his friends.

"Almost. Almost ! I was so close to it. And for a really tiny bit… I must renounce the faultless round ! Definitely galling !"

"Yes, but you were impressive, Dude ! You really were !" screamed the green boy, sounding like a fan of Robin, screaming his admiration to his idol.

"You bet, Man ! Great job, Rob ! Booya !" **(3)**

"Yeah, maybe it was good, but still…" the Masked Titan mumbled.

"And now, to our two magicians !" announced Cyborg.

Raven stepped forward, quickly looked at Jinx and smirked.

The empath decided to put her hood up all the same, as it might get in the way when she moved, and in a wink, she was gone.

Jinx observed intently the girl she was infatuated with, and relished the gracious movements of the other half-demon.

Rae didn't get touched by the lasers, hit all the targets in their centers, easily levitated the barriers, cast the robots away, brought the key out without being hit by a rotating ray and finally pushed the heavy plate upwards without problem, courtesy of her dark power.

She was the first to make a perfect run !

"Raven met all the objectives with ease. Not a single hit, neither by lasers nor by rays or by robots, all targets reached, obstacles easily dealt with. Just perfect." Cyborg summarized.

Azar's former student floated back to her friends, her hood down again.

"How was it ?" she asked.

"You are the first to do it perfectly. Congratulations !" a smiling Robin informed her.

"Bravo ! Bravo ! You were great, Friend Raven ! Just wonderful !" shrilled Star as she enthusiastically clapped her hands, jumping up and down.

Cyborg gave her a thumb up, smiling.

As for Beast Boy, he grumbled something in his corner, still pouting.

Rae quickly looked at all, visibly pleased, and her gaze stopped on Jinx.

The latter's grin grew even wider, and both girls shared a furtive tender look.

"Now show us what you are capable of, Jinx… Show us your talent…" confidently uttered Raven, still smiling kindly at the girl haunting her heart and mind.

"I will. I'm not sure I'll do as great as you, though…" replied the once evil enchantress.

"Perhaps not as great : actually, it may even be _better_ than my own performance. I know you can make it, Jinx. You were the best H.I.V.E. students, remember ? With such a flattering status, you must have been extremely gifted in several fields, and done outstanding during training. I'm really impatient to watch you do it" continued the best Titan in training up to now.

Jinx was moved by Rae's words and it made her straighten, a pleased grin stretching her mouth.

"Thanks. I won't disappoint you."

And indeed…

She was far too quick for the lasers…

All targets received the pink waves "bull's eye"…

She shattered the barriers in no time…

The droids' destruction didn't even take a minute…

She grabbed the key and came back as if nothing…

And the final heavy panel couldn't resist a gigantic pink wave…

The Teen Titans stared, amazed, at their latest member, as she went through the whole ordeal with as much ease as if she had been strolling or dancing on a background music. Their mouths were all open, save for Raven, who simply smirked confidently, way satisfied.

Their new friend was displaying such mesmerizing agility and incredible balance, together with stunning speed and fantastic precision. To the point where they would almost have been tempted to wonder whether it was really a flesh-and-bone person taking the challenge, and not some virtual character, like in videogames…

As Jinx arrived at the control panel, they all broke into clapping, Cyborg and Starfire cheering loudly, Robin smiling wide, Beast Boy a little less, obviously having temporarily forgotten his earlier irritation thanks to her "show"… and Raven nodding approvingly, a large smile rewarding the Hex for the great time she had offered her.

"Incredible ! Just incredible ! Not only a faultless run, but a terrific mix of rapidity, precision and agility ! You were even the fastest of us all ! That makes you the best today !" yelled an enthusiastic half-robot.

"You were graceful in your movements. It was a delight watching you. Thanks for the excellent spectacle. You are more than promising in fighting !" congratulated the Boy Wonder.

"How delightful ! How wonderful ! You did so well ! Bravo and bravo, and bravo again !" screamed Star, not far from the top of her voice.

"Just waow ! Top class !" merely spoke up the shapeshifter.

Jinx was radiant in this moment, grinning wide at all of them.

Then her pink gaze lingered on the violet one opposite.

Raven looked happier than she had ever appeared. Her contentment was rarely noticeable, as her controlling her emotions forced her to avoid showing that much, but her meditations had been long enough lately to ensure her full control on her emotions. And there did she show utter happiness, smiling warmly at her fellow sorceress… and secret love !

"I have no words, Jinx. They would anyway never convey properly all my amazement at your exceptional demonstration. It was… really something !" she concluded, unable to find terms with enough intensity to really render her admiration for the witch's first training.

The addressee almost thought she was blushing and had to look elsewhere for a few seconds, just time for the heat on her face to dissipate.

"Thank you, Raven." started Jinx, yet she immediately realized she couldn't decently thank only her and therefore turned to peer at the other four. "Thank you, **everyone**, for the praise, the congratulations. I'm glad you enjoyed it. You know, I used to work really hard at the training sessions of the H.I.V.E., and began outdoing everybody else, one after the other. Brother Blood told me I was the most gifted, and therefore the most promising student he had had in a while."

She paused, gathering her words to carry on.

"I was afraid that I might not do that well, that I would be somewhat "rusty", given that I hadn't had any sparring in quite a while. That's why I really doubted I could do as well as you, Raven." Her pink met the violet across from her… that gorgeous violet in which she wanted to drown willingly ! "But fortunately enough, I still have enough energy and agility to do quite good. That way, I'll be an efficient Teen Titan and honor your team, which I'm so flattered to be part of !"

There was cheering again, until a voice spoke in the silence that finally settled afterwards.

"We are so lucky to have you with us, Jinx…"

It was Raven speaking.

The Badlucker turned to gaze intensely at the Azarathian,

_And _**I**_ am the one especially lucky to have you…_

Jinx's eyes widened.

She had just heard Raven's voice… _**within her head**_ !?

She wondered if she had dreamt.

But when she saw the cloaked female wink at her, smirking, she knew that it wasn't a dream, and that explanations would follow later…

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"Telepathy ?" asked Jinx after dinner, as the two sorceresses were sitting on the couch to relax for a moment, while the boys were clearing away the dirty dishes and Star was putting these in the washing machine. (It had been decided that the two winners of the sparring session would be… spared any chore for the evening and the next three days ! A way like another, for Robin, to thank the two enchantresses for the awesome spectacle they had offered their friends.)

"Yes. One of my numerous powers. You focus your mind on the person you want to send a thought to, then focus on the message you want to send to that person, and your thought then instantly leaves your mind to appear in the addressee's head."

"Great ! We should do it someday ! I'm eager to try it soon !"

Rae turned to look at the boys, Robin listening to Beast Boy and Cyborg's lively talk, and then checked on the Tamaranean, who appeared to be still doing something in the kitchen.

Nobody had their attention on the two grey-skinned females sitting on the couch, only a small distance away from the rest of the gang.

Sensing no risk, the chakra bearer slowly let her hand wander down and discreetly seized the Hex's hand, which she then gently squeezed. Then she discreetly asked Jinx to spread her fingers, and she then intertwined her fingers with hers.

The pink-haired one enjoyed it, but still couldn't help checking on the others anyway. Yet the coast remained clear. For the time being…

Raven didn't want to tempt fate, so she rapidly sat back up, briefly glancing at their teammates, to find them still focused on their own activities.

Jinx smiled sweetly at her, and Raven returned the favour, but then they returned to their strictly friendly façade, the Pink Enchantress congratulating the Violet one about her sparring performance, and reciprocally.

Yet, while they were talking normally, no hint of their secret love appearing, their fingers nevertheless remained intertwined, hidden from the others, and Rae gently stroked Jinx's back of hand with her free thumb. But both continued to still glance regularly at their friends, ready to take their hands back to themselves at the first sign of their approach.

Jinx felt so happy.

It had been a wonderful day, one of the best she had had in months and months.

She actually couldn't have recalled when she had felt that blissful.

It was definitely the kind of day that counted in one's existence, and helped build on the great monument of happiness…

The former criminal was so content about her situation, and in this moment, about the day's very nice unwinding… she was almost daydreaming about it all…

And that's when the characteristic sound of an incoming transmission echoed in the common room.

The six Titans gathered in front of the supercomputer and Robin typed a few keys.

An image appeared on the large screen affixed to the wall.

Two men were standing in a dark street, the police cars' revolving lights showing in the back.

"Good evening, Titans !" started superintendent Moser.

"Eh, you already captured one of the H.I.V.E. Five's members ?" asked lieutenant Heathfield.

He had visibly spotted Jinx.

Robin understood immediately.

"No, it's different with her. Jinx quit the H.I.V.E. Five and joined the Teen Titans. She no longer is a villain. Now, she will _help_ _catching_ the villains."

"She really is part of the Titans, now ?" asked the blond man, visibly having a hard time accepting that unlikely truth.

"She is, yes."

"Alright. Sorry for the confusion." Moser apologized in Heathfield's place. "We thought that you had managed to arrest her already. So there are now four, and not five, to look for…"

"What are you talking about exactly, Moser ?" questioned the Boy Wonder, frowning.

"Yes, I still have to tell you what happened." continued Moser. "We got distracted by that pink-haired girl and forgot to tell you the reason for our call. It has to do with the four other members of the original H.I.V.E. Five gang, hence our confusion earlier."

Jinx gulped, then bit her lip.

_No… No, don't tell me…_

But she heard exactly what she dreaded to, and in an instant, the end of that happy day got ruined.

"They have escaped from jail…"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**** :**

**The once cursed girl : this relates to Raven, and refers to the bad omen linked to her destiny, about her becoming the Portal and bringing about the End of the World. That indeed really ****cursed**** Raven !**

**Raven keeping her hood down : The gothic girl actually keeps her hood down as long as possible because Jinx told her she was always slightly disappointed when the hood was up, as it hid most of her beautiful face. Rae thus decided to leave her head uncovered as often as possible, to please Jinx and allow her to see her face. That change is therefore a love gesture.**

**Great job, Rob : yeah, there is a rhyming pun here. Yet NO, although ya may have thought so, it was NOT intentional. I simply wrote it down, and realized immediately after that there was this rhyme. But for once, the humour adept that I am, who loves playing with language, didn't plan that one "word pun". It just happened.**

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

**Damn, over 9'000 words again ?! And me who thought it would be more around 7'000 or so… I really underestimate the power of inspiration, it seems…**

**Anyway, here is how one really great day ends up… terribly !**

**Gizmo, Billy Numerous, See-More and Mammoth have managed to escape !**

**I think you easily guess the implications of this, plot-wise…**

**And Jinx who was so happy… poor of her !**

**How will she be feeling now ? What will she do / decide ? How will Raven help ?**

**So, I hope you liked this chapter. Perhaps the training part was a tad long, no ? With that, I wanted to show the great impression that Jinx gave the team. She was the best H.I.V.E. Academy student and showed great capacities in many domains. That shows in her perfect run here. And as if by chance, it's our two heroines who were the only ones managing to render a "flawless copy"… I also wanted to have Jinx cheer up to every Titan after their attempt, in order to show how she made efforts to "blend in".**

**I personally also liked how much Jinx enjoyed her first meditation with Raven. And how she totally immersed herself in it, to the point she forgot about time and it was Rae who had to tell her it was enough meditation for one morning.**

**Oh, btw, what did you think of the initial dream… I mean, **_**nightmare**_** ? Was it a premonitory one or not ? How did you find it ?**

**Now, I want to also thank "**_**Guest**_**", who dropped a short review. Thanxxxx, whoever you are, for calling my story wonderful ('wunderbar' in German) ! But now, as regards the "Out of Character" comment, I guess I have to set the record straight, both for you and for the rest of the readers / reviewers, so here it is : **

**Guys, I KNOW that my char's (characters) are OoC, and I KNOW that some are displeased with this. Alright, so be it. But, see, I'm neither gonna apologize for this nor change it. The reason why ? Because I WANT Raven and Jinx to be OoC. It's one of my choices for this story, it's the way I intended to write it, and as happens in most cases when a writer gets the same critic several times about a cornerstone of the story, I alas cannot modifiy that OoC feature. It's a part of my fic', like it or not, and there's no way I can give it up. It would be like betraying my original idea… and which writer would do such a thing ? None of ya, I guess ? Well, figure out I'm just like you. I understand that OoC has 1 out of 2 chances to displease, yet it's a risk to take. I'm one of theses foks who like doing things the original way, the different way. I do it in everyday life, and I also do it on FF. I like to explore new roads. Hence the OoC, hence my refusal of cannon pairing RaeXBB (which I will NEVER do !), hence my choosing to have char's doing different activities than those I've found in so many stories (meditating for Rae, cooking for Star, playing videogames for Cy & BB, checking criminal files for Rob, all things seen/read time and time again…). I respect those who want to do it the conventional way, yet on my side, it's non-conformist as can be ! I always summon my imagination to create original stuff, the one you don't see so much. It's the way I function, and OoC is part of that. Now, if some are pissed coz of that OoC feature, nobody forces them to keep on reading it. Just know that I've already heard that critic enough, and here was my answer to it. If people want to read a story, it's always "take it or leave it", style-wise. It's all up to ya to continue reading or drop it, but like many authors, I'll stick to my style all the same.**

**Ah, last thing : I'd like to write a funny TT one-shot after this story here. Something containing much humour. It could be standard fun, or even some absurd / nonsensical plot, some "off the wall" stuff. And I'd like you to help, if you'd agree. Here's how : on my profile page is a Forum link called MY TOPICS FORUM (for ideas of stories). Those of you who would like to help me figure out some funny, comical story plot are welcome to leave ideas on there. I will then choose from those I receive. Coz I currently have NO real plot idea for a fun story… **

**Anyway, I've just reached those famous 10'000 words, so… CUT !**

**Peace, Love, Ecstasy !**

**)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Ion Square (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((**


	12. A fatal encounter

**))))))))))) XI (((((((((((**

**)))) A fAtAl EnCoUnTeR ((((**

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**Greetings, Guys ! :D**

**So, first of all, I'd like to apologize if my explanation about OoC sounded somewhat harsh, snappy. I didn't mean to offend anybody when explaining, so if some of you took it bad, or took it personally, I feel sorry about that unwelcome aftermath. I wasn't in the best of moods when I wrote that and… well, I guess my tension unwillingly "exuded" in my writing. That and I was beginning to get slightly upset about people continuously pointing out at the same thing, that I already was well aware of. But that's not an excuse to be harsh, so, again, sorry if anyone has been frowning upon reading that OoC explanation.**

**Now, guess what ? I received a review in my mother tongue, ****French**** ! How unexpected… and cool is that ? Thanks loads to you, **_**Soleana**_**, for making the effort to review in my native language, I really appreciate the kind attention ! And yeah, too bad ya didn't study French for more years : 'tis such an AWESOME language ! ;) So, once again : merci beaucoup pour ton feedback et ton "favorite", Soleana !**

**Also gratitude to **_**Guest**_**, who nicely called RAViNx a "very good story". I'm both flattered and honored, and way pleased that ya enjoy it that much ! :D**

**As usual, much praise to **_**Icy**_** (sorry, but your alias is still kinda complicated to write, so I hope you don't mind if I use a "shortcut", eh ?) for remaining that constant in (reading and) reviewing ! I really appreciate your regularity, ya loyal fan, and wholeheartedly thank you for it ! :D**

**Likewise, thanxxxx **_**Bonar**_** and **_**Espacole**_** for following my current work. Ya guys rock !**

**Oh, and btw : I've gathered already 32 followers utn (up to now), and am really delighted about this ! It's above three times more than my first sTTory, 8, and I just marvel at so much interest for this modest love story here. I owe you so much, dear followers ! Thanxxxx a tremendous lot for reading this fiction AND pinning it among your ongoing reads ! Much indebted to ya all I am indeed !**

**And now, dear readers, all together : "COMPUTERBUGSARESUCHAPAININTHE… !" Coz yeah, laptop hindrances are such a bore, aren't they ? My Mum's MacBook has lost its connection to both server and Internet ! And when did that happen exactly ? As I was at her place, using that laptop to… finish typing the previous RAViNx chapter, "It was such a fine day, until…" The Word document was 28 pages long… so, did that make it too "dense", too "heavy" for the lappy to bear ? Crap, it would be my fault… although I didn't do anything wrong ?! Damn technology !**

**Btw, d'ya notice how my title contained three dots at the end ("It was such a fine day, until****…****")… while none of these three dots showed in the chapters list, in the drop-down menu ? FF likes to make things vanish, it seems… just as happens when it's "sabotaging" an e-mail link or an e-mail address, when we use some in a PM…Jeez, technology is meant to ****ease**** our lives, NOT to complicate them !**

**Alright, better keep energy to write this chappy, eh, so time to now N'JOY !**

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Raven sighed sleepily as she felt slumber start to slowly retreat from her body.

She may be an early riser, yet getting up betimes still never went without saying.

Her eyes opened slowly and peered at the antic clock set on her nightstand.

5:55

Her mind came back to Jinx, who had tried to conceal her worry the previous evening. Her girlfriend had claimed she was tired, immediately after the communication with the policemen ended, yet Raven had sensed she actually wasn't feeling well _psychologically_. The tiredness mentioned therefore was some excuse to isolate herself and not display any sign of concern.

But the empathic power had naturally detected the real cause of her leaving, and Raven had guessed that that worry she had felt in her beloved had its origin in the bad news given by Heathfield and Moser : that Jinx's former criminal teammates were now out… and that the pink-haired witch would probably have to face them one day, but in the heroine's role, this time !

The violet-haired female let her magical senses reach out and flow over to her pink love, to know if she was already awake, and if so, in what mood she was.

Then her eyes opened wider and she frowned.

What she felt was confusion and anxiety. And it evidently caused her own concern to grow.

She quickly got up and donned her cloak, her tired body switching from relative drowsiness to sudden alertness in no time, and she hurried to phase through the wall.

Jinx's room was empty.

The once apathetic teen gave it a quick thought and concluded that her "better half" was probably in the common room, so she teleported over there.

And indeed, the black-dressed female was by the picture window, clearly gazing outside, in the scarce light of the early morning.

The empathic power of the Dark Enchantress let her know that Jinx's mind was swarming with worry, and this saddened her.

Raven took off silently, landed right behind her fellow wizard and rested her hands on her shoulders.

The pensive witch jolted and turned her head.

"Sorry, Jinki… Didn't mean to frighten you..."

"It's okay, Rae. I'm glad you're here."

Jinx pulled her head backwards, face turned to the other grey face for a sweet morning kiss.

"Wait a second, please…" whispered Raven.

She briefly probed the surroundings with her sensitive senses **(1) **to make sure nobody was coming their way.

And once she was sure that no one was heading to the common room at the moment, she lowered her mouth and let it rest on her beloved's.

Both enjoyed this morning treat, a perfect way to start a new day.

Once they had parted, Raven positioned herself opposite Jinx and stared at her with a serious expression.

"Jinx, what is tormenting you ? I could feel your dismay, and guessed that it's related to yesterday's news about your former teammates' escape. You're worried about facing them again, aren't you ?"

The vertical pupils briefly sank to the ground and quickly settled on the violet orbs opposite.

"I am. I've become an upholder of the law and, should we have to face each other one day, they will consider me a traitor. Maybe Mammoth might forgive me, but he will be the only one. The others won't show any mercy. I just dread the future Titan alert that will be related to _their_ wrongdoing…"

Raven put her hands back on Jinx's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Jinki. I'll be by your side, and won't let any of them harm you. Nobody is going to hurt the girl I care for. That, I swear !"

There was determination in the amethyst orbs.

The Badlucker couldn't resist a smile.

"You're too sweet, Rae. Thank you so much for your concern."

She quietly snuggled against the body of the once accursed "portal" and sighed in contentment.

"I love you, Raven. I'm so lucky to have you in my life."

The gothic Titan hugged her back, caressing her horn-shaped hair.

"As am I, Jinx. You brought love into my life, me who was a lonely half-demon, and for this, I could never be grateful enough. And since I befriended you, curiously enough, I have much less emotion issues. I thought that experiencing true love would make my power go haywire, yet no : it's exactly the contrary that has happened… Your contact has brought a real balance inside of me, an emotional balance. It's really strange, paradoxical… but I know I owe it to you ! Thank you, my Jinx !"

"I'm glad I can help you make feel better… my Raven !"

The pink one then put her head back on the violet one's chest and closed her eyes, enjoying the constant gentle caress on her hair.

The two girls just stood by the picture window, enjoying a love moment, lost in a sea of bliss.

But the sweetness of the moment, the intensity of their mutual love, the comforting warmth of their bodies stuck together… all this led to Raven losing concentration for just a few minutes… and forget to use her empathic senses to check on presences around…

…and…

…there was a discrete hiss on the right, yet in the thick silence reigning in the place, both girls nevertheless could hear it, and both swiftly jerked their heads in the direction of the low sound.

Starfire came floating into the room and spotted them.

She came to a halt, puzzled by the sight of her two friends holding each other. Naturally didn't she think about same-gender love, as she didn't know yet it existed.

Raven inwardly cursed herself for forgetting to probe the surroundings as Jinx and herself were embracing.

The sorceresses swiftly parted, their hearts suddenly racing, gulping as they gazed at the silent Tamaranean.

"Glorious morning, Friends !" the orange-skinned alien awkwardly blurted out, still feeling confused at her female teammates hugging.

"Morning, Star. I was just… comforting Jinx, as she had a nightmare. That's why she was in my arms : because she needed to be reassured…" quickly said Raven, hoping that explanation would do.

"Oh ! I see. Sorry, I was just surprised when I saw you together… But I understand now. Tell me, Friend Jinx, what was your nightmare about ?"

"Hum… about… old friends trying to kill me…" she answered, providing the first thing that came to her mind… and that was actually related to a certain current dread of hers.

"Oh, how horrible indeed…!" exclaimed the kind-hearted extraterrestrial.

"Alright, let's go for breakfast now, right ?" cut Raven, willing to ease the atmosphere a bit and focus attentions on something else, something basic.

Jinx nodded, as she did her best to breathe deeply, in order to calm down her racing heartbeats.

Starfire did as well, although more energetically, enthusiasm flowing from her.

She had already almost forgotten about Raven and Jinx holding each other.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Raven materialized on top of a secluded mountain, among olive trees, under a sunny blue sky.

Looking around, she noticed that the Yellow Cloak was nowhere to be seen. So she let her magic probe the surroundings, which eventually lead to locating the owner of the domain, a little further to the right.

Raven started in that direction.

She had told Jinx after breakfast that she had something personal to do in her room, and that it wouldn't take that long, proposing the thrower of bad luck curses to do something with Starfire in the meantime or, why not after all, with one of the boys.

The half-human heroine stopped in the center of a sunken area, a depression where lay, scattered here and there, Greek temples.

Opposite her was a levitating figure, clad in a yellow mantle, legs crossed and arms stretched over knees, two fingers joined in circular shape, eyes closed, the whole body focused in a deep meditation.

Knowledge.

The wisest emoticlone may have been engaged in an absorbing task, she howbeit felt the presence of her owner and accordingly opened up her eyes, looking through her glasses at the similarly-dressed female opposite, who only differed on one detail : the hood, that the sensible emotion wore up, was down in Raven's attire.

"Welcome, Master ! It is always a pleasure to host you in my domain. How can I please you ?" the emoticlone politely expressed herself.

"Good morning, Knowledge. Thanks for welcoming me. I wanted to discuss a matter with you… about Jinx. And about her influence on my emotions."

The clever look of the "four-eyed" girl **(2)** linked with the inquisitive stare of her owner.

"I know what your concern is about, Master. Being used to refraining your emotions and often meditate to channel them in order to avoid any power outburst, you therefore clearly assumed that experiencing love would cause incontrollable energy spouting, itself in turn wreaking havoc all around. And, given that assumption, you were all the more bewildered upon noticing that no such expected thing happened, and that, paradoxically enough, your tenderness and love display, after one or two minor disturbances, actually related to the gaining of an emotional balance, whereas you expected that balance to be shattered by amorous feelings. It all unfolded in the exact antipodal manner to the one you were anticipating."

Raven made a lopsided smile. Knowledge could read in her like in a book. If there was one emotion she knew would "know it all", it evidently was her. Needless explain : she already was aware. And this extremely strong intellectual bond was very appreciated from Raven.

"You summarized it perfectly, and as usual in the most elegant and intelligent manner, Knowledge."

The emoticlone made a slight bow and resumed observing her creator, sensing there was more to be listened to.

"I am indeed distracted by that unexpected outcome : that experiencing a feeling as strong as love would end up in harmoniously balancing my emotions and quite surprisingly avoid my power to get out of hand, as it already has when I'm under an emotional influence. Gaining that inner balance while loving was what I least expected. How is that, Knowledge ? Why did it turn out completely opposite ?"

In a typical gesture of hers when she was about to explain something complex, the glasses-wearing emoticlone straightened her spectacles before beginning her speech.

"I am not entirely sure of the reason, but I have the following theory about it : your surprising self-control isn't triggered by your love for Jinx… but by Jinx's own emotional balance ! She has a really good mastery over her feelings and emotions, and this despite her half-demon condition. It appears that not all half-demons have an inner instability, because she would obligatorily have it as well, in that case. So if you have issues about your emotional management and she hasn't, while being both part human and part demon, I assume that the difference may lie in the nature of the demons that were yours and Jinx's parents. Trigon is evil, and this accounts for the "hectic emotional heritage" you have to bear, and that requires daily meditation to control. But in my opinion, Jinx's demonic parent is not evil, which means her feelings are stable, and that stability of hers has a positive effect on your own feelings. Her being close to you, and perhaps also her love for you, considerably weakens if not neutralizes the instability of your emotions, and that explains why there is now almost no loose energy when you kiss her, hold her, stroke her hair and so on. Her inner emotional balance triggers a similar emotional equilibrium in you. I can't think of anything else."

Raven had intently listened to the explanation provided by Knowledge. And while she naturally couldn't swear that it corresponded to reality, and that her emoticlone was definitely right about it all, she nevertheless felt that she had guessed correctly, and that Jinx's inner stability had a more-than-welcome balancing effect on her own emotions. She somehow _sensed_ that Knowledge had once again managed to discover the hidden truth.

"It all sounds so logical. So pertinent. I can't help but feel you're right, Knowledge. I really believe you found out what the mysterious reason for my sudden emotional stability was. I'm convinced you are correct about it. My sixth sense tells me so."

The Yellow One shrugged.

"As I said, it's only my theory about that matter. I don't claim it to be the truth… yet I can't help thinking I may be right after all. It's a kind of… intuition. I still might be wrong about it, yet I couldn't find a better explanation, so… I stuck to that one. Which I think to be really worth considering."

Raven nodded, pondering things on and on.

_So Jinx is the one helping me to live a normal life without my "hectic emotional heritage", as Knowledge called it, getting in the way… Her stability, triggering my own… Yes, it definitely sounds correct ! Gosh, I really am way lucky to have become, first friend, then lover with Jinx ! She balances me, and helps me experiencing a normal love relationship… Oh Jinki… Jinki, I owe you so much ! You are a blessing in my life ! I knew I was right getting together with you. Rage was wrong. Definitely wrong._

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Jinx had spent a long time with Robin, him showing her how were handled the criminal files : how the Titans studied them, analyzed them, sorted them, updated them if needed. She had listened with interest and asked a few questions, some pertinent ones the Boy Wonder had replied to with pleasure, as he was satisfied noticing the new member had such relevant clarification requests. He appreciated the cleverness of her interventions, which reminded him of the intelligent remarks Raven made, and to a lesser extent Cyborg as well.

Then something had unexpectedly required Robin's full attention and monopolized it, for which he had apologized, asking her to come back a tad later if she would, to which she had agreed.

But naturally, what she felt like doing, now she had spare time, was check on Raven and see if she was over with the "personal stuff" in her room.

A couple of minutes later, she was knocking on her girlfriend's door.

No reaction inside.

She redid it.

Still nothing.

"Raven, it's me. Can I come in ?"

Silence…

Although she didn't like the idea of entering a room without the owner's consent – all the more when said owner happened to be the one you loved ! -, she still couldn't help sliding the door open.

It indeed looked like the room was deserted.

_I guess she finished whatever she had to do in here, then went meditating, maybe on the roof, like last time…_

The grey-skinned witch was about to close the door when something caught her attention.

There, on the bed… some sparkling !

She entered the room, still caring to close the door, just to avoid anyone to find out she, the new team member, was allowed into Raven's room, whereas all ancient members were not. Then she proceeded to the bed to find out what the mysterious object reflecting the sun was.

She stopped and looked at what was there, on the bedspread.

A mirror.

One that had an elegant frame, not just the plain, utilitarian mirror, but a real work of art.

Jinx picked it up and turned to the nightstand, where she planned to leave it, for Rae to find it easily when she came back.

But right before putting the mirror down, she suddenly felt like having a look at herself in that esthetic mirror, so she put it before her face…

…and started upon spotting four red eyes appear in the depths of the reflective surface !

Her lips moved, about to open and let out some surprise sound… but before any such thing could occur, a black claw swiftly emerged from the mirror and quickly closed around Jinx's body !

The Hex squirmed to try and free herself, but the hellish grasp was too powerful, and the dark substance dragged her within the mirror, her scream abruptly cut as it had only begun !

And soon, all that was left in the Dark Titan's room was the mysterious mirror, its surface normal again, as if nothing had happened…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Jinx couldn't believe her eyes.

A place seemingly set in space, with a dark sky everywhere and floating pieces of ground. Except that there weren't any stars : they had been replaced by some black orbs with blood-red outline.

_Damn, is that place creepy ! But where the heck am I ? Looks like some kind of inferno…_

Looking around, she wasn't so surprised not to spot anyone. Such eerie universe was exactly the kind one would imagine desert.

The main point here was to find a way out.

She noticed that there was a path behind her, which was winding up to a platform located a tad higher. So she set out on that passage, hoping it would lead to an exit of some sort.

Having arrived on the platform, she let her pink eyes take in the surroundings.

All around the circular piece of land, there were, at equal intervals, eight stony arches. It looked like frames of antic doors… except that there was nothing past the arches ! No corridor, no room : just the void. The same landscape could be seen through them.

_Why are these things here ? They resemble entrances, but there's nothing behind : they don't lead anywhere… Strange…_

Yet, although it seemed no exit could be found in that place, she still felt like stepping forward instead of going back along the same route. What incited her to do so, she didn't know. Perhaps some intuition…?

As far as she could tell, the arches were all identical. She took time to look at all of them, then finally randomly approached one.

Her face now showed a serious expression a she stared first at the arch, then at the open space in the middle, where a door might have once been.

To the eye, that architectural shape didn't lead anywhere… yet her intuition "spoke" differently, deep inside of her ! It told her of a secret, hidden passage…

Jinx licked her lips and made a few steps forward.

She stopped right below the arch.

Nothing had happened.

She hesitated then advanced once again…

…and suddenly found herself in a vast plain, under a leaden sky !

The vertical pupils grew wider at once, the shock of the change overwhelming her.

_It… It was a magical door ! It teleported me here ! But what for a world is this ?!_

Suddenly, a short distance from her, water spouted from the ground and the liquid squirt went really high, with a hissing sound.

Once the water had fallen down, steam filled the atmosphere, originating from the hole the water jet had exited from.

Hot water jetting from the ground… Jinx got what it was : a geyser.

Behind her, another similar racket burst, making her swiftly turn around.

A second geyser, several yards from her, had erupted high up, and steam soon warmed the place.

And then a third one, a little further.

Not willing to spend much time in such an insecure location, Jinx began walking away, her eyes worriedly observing: she was trying hard to make sure she avoided the holes of the geysers as she progressed through the threatening plain.

After a long anguishing walk, she realized that she had reached the limits of the geyser area : where she was standing now, there was no water spouting.

She felt relieved… until she witnessed the simultaneous eruptions of ALL the geysers !

Numerous liquid columns indeed jetted up at the very same time, as if foretelling some imminent dreadful event.

And that's when a deep, inhuman voice loudly asked : "What are you doing in my domain ?"

Jinx jerked her head in the other direction and goggled : a cloaked figure was standing there, observing her, arms and legs hidden under the red fabric, only the lower part of the face showing. The person appeared similar to Raven, except for the cloak colour, therefore Jinx assumed it was a female teenager, like the empath.

Then the mysterious female walked closer and stopped inches from the pink-haired enchantress, and the latter felt her heart miss a beat : in the dark part where the upper part of the face was hidden, four red slits were shining malevolently !

And given the position of those four slits, it really seemed as if these were… eyes !?

"Well well well, Jinx, have you lost your voice ? Or are you too afraid about what I have in store for you ? Afraid of your fate ?" the demonic being asked in its deep, hellish tone.

"Who… who are you ?"

"Oh, I'm only the one who will punish you for drawing Master on the wrong path !"

Jinx was puzzled.

"Master ? Who is Master ?"

"You call her Raven. And you made her love yourself, a **female**, while she's meant to love a male, given her gender. You perverted her ! And for this perversion, you will pay !"

This time, shock replaced puzzlement.

"Perverted her ? I… _perverted_ Raven ?"

Rage suddenly imitated the geysers that were part of her domain : she _erupted_ violently !

"Yes, you PERVERTED her ! You made her become a LESBIAN ! You filthy little slut ! I'll teach you to stain Master's honor !"

And there was a new feeling switch : but this time, it was from puzzlement to… _**anger**_ !

"WHAT ?! What did you just call me ?! 'Filthy little slut' ?!"

"That's what I said, yeah ! Because that's what you are, you dirty lesbian !" yelled Rage.

"How dare you ?! You have no right to insult me ! And I didn't "pervert" Raven : she freely chose to love me ! There's no perversion in all this ! So you better watch your mouth !"

Rage was fuming for good.

"_SHUT THE HELL UP !_"

As she screamed, she raised her arms and a bolt of dark energy immediately formed in her hands.

Jinx's eyes widened but she wasn't quick enough to avoid the magical projectile : the black orb hit her "point blank" and her body was brutally cast away, crashing against a lonely mound.

"I'll show you what **real** magic is, you second-hand sorceress !" warned the Red Hood as she started gathering energy again.

The sixth Titan had a knee down to the ground, and was wincing from the impact, but she knew she wouldn't stand a chance if she didn't stand back up at once.

A black wave rushed to her, and she avoided it at the last minute by flinging herself out of target, using her bended leg to shoot herself off the ground.

Rage shot bolt after bolt of dark energy at her horn-haired adversary, and Jinx had to move nonstop to make sure she avoided them all.

The former villain then took off, her eyes shining a bright pink, and launched hexes at the cloaked figure, who moved this way and that way to dodge all of them.

"Ah ah, is that all you can do, perverted witch ?" mocked the red-clad female.

A savage roar of wrath left Jinx's throat and escaped through her gritted teeth.

The badluck curser threw her hands forward, and a huge mass of pink flowed from her palms.

Rage's eyes imperceptibly widened and the primal emotion had to summon a black shield to avoid being hit by the powerful display of bad luck energy.

"I'll teach you your lesson, you creepy monster !" angrily shouted the ex- H.I.V.E. student.

And she started running, throwing new kind of pink projectiles : some semi-circular, moon-shaped ones.

Once again, the violent emoticlone simply floated from side to side to avoid them all, then she resumed her position and put her hands up once again.

Yet Jinx's latest weapon had a particularity : if they missed their target, they didn't just continued their course until they met an obstacle. No, these ones, unlike the hexes, didn't fly straightforward all the way : they made a u-turn, like a boomerang, and came back to their target !

But Rage naturally ignored that, and while she was busy preparing another onslaught, she didn't notice all the magical moon-shaped projections turning in the air and rushing back to her.

Jinx raised her arms and yelled, her eyes shining even more.

This made the size of the rushing projectiles augment, and had them become shinier as well.

The first one hit Rage on the head, earning a loud and deep demonic scream of surprise.

But she didn't have time to understand what had happened to her : a second one hit her on the back, then a third one on the shoulder, a fourth one on the head again…

The cloaked figure received many attacks in a row, making her yell pretty loud, her cries a mix of rage and pain.

Jinx smiled evilly as she witnessed the success of her strategy and relished Rage's defeat.

_The perverted witch showed you what she was capable of, horrible demon !_

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

Love raised her eyes from the chessboard and let them look left, suddenly alert of something going on in Nevermore.

"Can you feel what I feel, Happy ?" she asked, vaguely preoccupied.

The bubbly emoticlone forgot about the chess game as well, focusing her empathic senses on the remote event.

"Yeah ! Looks like Rage is up to something again… She's battling pretty harsh. But, thank God, I'm not her punching ball this time… Hey, how about we go check on that fight ?"

Love obviously was indecisive.

"It's none of our business, Happy. If Rage sees us watching her, she'll think we've come to spy and -"

"Oh, come on !" cut the Pink Cloak. "There isn't that much action in Nevermore. For once, we have the occasion of taking our minds off the usual routine and see something different ! Let's go, Love ! Please !"

The enthusiastic emotion sure knew how to sound convincing.

The purple-clad female sighed.

"Oh, okay then…" she gave in, shrugging.

"Cool ! Off we go !"

And in a matter of seconds, both girls were no more than dots in the purplish sky characterizing Love's domain.

(…)

The orange-cloaked female sprawled on the ground, under a fir, burped as she turned to the brown one dozing off under another similar tree.

"Hey, Sloth !"

The other emoticlone didn't even seem to stir.

The first one frowned.

"SLOOOTH !"

The addressee finally reacted : she produced a barely audible grunt, slowly opened her eyelids and yawned copiously.

"What, Rude ?"

The shouter, who was now cleaning out her teeth with her pinkie, gave up that activity to focus on the discussion just starting.

"You probably didn't feel anything, since you were sleepy, but there is an augmentation of activity in Rage's domain. She is fighting someone, according to the violence of the vibes. But who ?"

Sloth rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah, well, must be you-know-who again…"

She clearly wasn't willing to go check if it really was Happy.

"Hey, let's go there and watch that ! I'm bored, and so are you ! That will spice up the day a bit, eh ?"

The girl in brown mumbled under her breath.

"I'm tired, I wanna sleep…" she finally uttered.

But Rude was far from discouraged.

"We fly there and we rest under a tree. We lie down and lazily enjoy the show. How about that ? Come on, Sloth !"

The indolent one yawned to the point her jaw would unhinge.

"Sloth… I tell you we'll just lie and look… no effort whatsoever…" insisted the ill-mannered emoticlone.

"Alright, alright… we'll go !" reluctantly agreed the idle female. "If I refuse to, you'll harass me, and that'll exhaust me even more…"

Rude smirked. As if it was _that_ exhausting for Sloth to fly to one of the closest domains to hers… that was just laughable.

Both gathered enough energy to head towards the dark plain stretching not that far away.

(…)

Brave suddenly appeared distracted.

She let the energy-encased block reach the ground, and immediately relegated the reinforcement of Timid's maze to a position of secondary importance.

What mattered right this moment was what she had perceived in the distance.

She didn't have to focus much to know what the matter was, and soon turned towards her now worried sister.

Timid's change of expression, from relaxed two minutes before to anxious right now, clearly proved she had perceived the sudden burst of energy at Rage's.

"You felt it as well, didn't you, Timid ?" asked the Green Cloak.

The shiest emoticlone slowly nodded, watching her fearless sister with much concern.

"I wonder what that killjoy is up to again. She's probably teaching Happy a lesson. But still, I'd like to give it a look. Are you coming with me ? I will protect you, don't worry ! You know you have nothing to fear with me, don't you, Timid ?"

The grey-dressed teen visibly hesitated, discreetly biting her lower lip.

"I… I don't know… do you think there are risks…?"

"With Rage, I'll honestly say there **always** is potential danger. But we will make sure to stay away, to avoid any wingding. Besides, as I stated before, you're with me, and as such, you are protected at best. So, do you accompany me, Timid ? Yes ?"

Brave's tone was one of sweet persuasion, and Timid realized she couldn't find a way to oppose to such a subtly convincing speech.

"O… Okay… I'll stay behind you… if that's okay with you…"

"Of course it is. Thanks for tagging along, Sis' !" the courageous emotion concluded.

A couple of seconds later, the stone maze was left to its own devices.

(…)

Nevermore may be Raven's mental universe, but the empath still won't notice each and every increase of activity as it starts. It will actually take a certain time to be perceived, depending on the violence of that activity : indeed, it is only when that violence reaches a precise threshold that Raven can actually detect it.

Therefore hadn't she at first nosed out the fight between Jinx and Rage.

But after a certain time, right after Jinx had managed to assault Rage with those moon-shaped projectiles including magical "homing device", Rage's wrath and power suddenly grew to frightening heights and sent terrible violence vibes everywhere in Nevermore, therefore allowing Raven and all emoticlones to know some battle was taking place in her domain… yet without giving away the opponent's identity ! **(3)**

The emoticlones hadn't tried to focus on that latter identity, several of them assuming it was Happy and therefore merely flying to Rage's to have, so they thought, confirmation of that.

Raven and Knowledge had perceived the energy of the battle as well, actually simultaneously to all other emoticlones.

"What's the matter with Rage ? Is she chasing Happy again ?" wondered the empath. "I warned her about the need to renounce that, and so did you, Knowledge."

"I did. But perhaps Happy sneaked in Rage's domain to provoke her or play a prank on her…? At least, it can't be a hostile intrusion, a foe from the outside, or else Rage would most probably have informed us telepathically that an enemy force had sneaked into your mind, Master."

"Mmmmh, you're right. But I don't want her to mistreat Happy. If my optimistic side disobeyed me, she will be punished again, but I don't allow any of my emotion to beat another one…"

Raven assumed that it may well be Happy who was facing Rage, but she still let her empathic senses focus on the demonic emotion's opponent.

And the identity of that opponent got unveiled to Raven…

The half-demon felt her temperature sink in no time !

"JINX ! Rage is fighting _**JINX**_ !"

She immediately took off and Knowledge raised a hand in her direction.

"MASTER !"

But she naturally followed suit, hurrying to catch up with her both worried and angry owner.

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

The great increase of energy, the one which disclosed the battle to Raven and all emoticlones, was Rage going out of control following her being "pushed around" with those multiple attacks in a row.

As soon as the onslaught was over, the demonic being, who had collapsed to the ground, stood back up, her hood down, and Jinx squinted her eyes, having the impression that her adversary wasn't just cloaked like Raven, but that she also _physically _matched her. She wasn't completely sure, though, given the distance between the "monster" and herself.

The deep demonic voice thundered, and sounded filled with pure hatred and wrath.

"You will regret that, filthy lesbian ! I will make you pay the highest price for mistreating me ! And when I've finished with you, you'll wish you had never met Master !"

The last words hit Jinx hard, not exactly devastating her, but still dealing her a pretty harsh psychological blow.

Stupor got a hold of her, thinking at how miserable she would be without Rae, and on the contrary how happy she was with her.

But to stupor succeeded fury, righteous fury.

The sixth Titan raised a menacing finger and half-pointed it to Rage.

"You have no right to say that ! No bloody right, you hear me ?!"

"I do what I want. And what I want is _crush_ you !"

Suddenly, a black aura emanated from the red-clad female, and it shaped into tentacles… which immediately headed for the pink-haired sorceress !

The latter started to run and move in an acrobatic manner, her body making complex figures to avoid the dark tendrils following her close.

She managed to remain out of reach for a long moment… but eventually got caught !

Rage brought her victim in front of her face, and Jinx's eyes widened to their maximum, realizing that the demon she was staring at actually WAS Raven's lookalike, like some evil doppelgänger. But these four red eyes… ? And how frightening they were !

"I don't think I'm going to kill you, although I'm still unsure…" growled the inhuman voice. "But I'll make you regret perverting Master with your filthy, abnormal, sick same-gender love… or what you at least call 'love' ! I'll make you suffer ! Serves you right !"

Jinx, immobilized by the black tentacles, could only glare at her enemy for saying such words. That and speak out her wrath : "I hate you ! I hate you, creepy monster !"

These words reminded Rage of what she was considered by Raven… a monster ! And this simple remembrance drove her mad !

The tentacles lifted the Pink Enchantress, then made a curve movement to the ground and slammed her body hard to the ground.

While this happened, Rage was vociferating on top of her voice, her red eyes unusually wide open.

And it was naturally that incredible outburst that had brought violence's level past its limit and "given away" the fight to Raven and all emoticlones.

The tentacles lifted the Badlucker and crashed her down once again.

The victim squeezed her eyes shut, wincing from the shock, but focusing her anger as much as she was able to, hoping that maintaining her animosity high would help her remain conscious.

_Hell, it __**hurts**__ ! It hurts so fucking bad ! Rae… I don't know if I'll survive this, if she'll kill me or not, but if I die… Rae, I love you… thanks for making me happy… for real…_

But as she thought this, Jinx recalled that Raven had told her about telepathy, and she now would have liked to use it to transmit those thoughts to Raven… but pain made it impossible for her to even focus enough to perform telepathy.

After five crashes, the Hex still hadn't passed out, and noticing this, Rage infuriated even more, screaming in a horrible way.

She released the former criminal, who fell heavily, and considered her for two good minutes, wondering what she could do to her.

Then a wicked smile twisted her mouth.

She lifted her hand high… and a black sphere started to grow in her grey palm !

Jinx, feeling so weak, tried to keep her eyes open and gathered all her strength to try and get up quickly, before she got hit by the now huge energy ball, but she couldn't : the repeated shocks had weakened her too much. All she could do was helplessly stare at her doom, which lay in the hand of the red emoticlone.

_Goodbye, Rae… I know you can't hear me, but still… I.. I… love you…_

Her eyes closed and she passed out.

"And here is something that should definitely knock you out, before I decide if I destroy you for good or not !" yelled Rage.

She was about to launch the large energy sphere…

…when Love and Happy suddenly appeared from behind a mound and rushed to Jinx !

They placed themselves between Rage and her victim, the Purple One with her arms stretched horizontally in the typical protective position.

"NO ! You're not killing her ! Never as long as I'm alive !" shouted a both angry and anxious Love.

"Have you gone completely CRAZY ?! Why did you do that ?! Curse on you, Rage !" screamed an unusually furious Happy.

Rage, who naturally didn't expect such a twist, was caught unawares.

But her lack of reaction didn't last long.

"Love ! Happy ! Get away from here ! She perverted Master by making her become a lesbian ! She deserves to suffer more !"

"You're going to KILL her if you throw that thing !" yelled a new voice.

Brave had just arrived with Timid, the latter hiding behind her green sister.

Both joined the Purple and Pink Cloaks, the courageous emoticlone taking a fighting stance, decided to protect Jinx at any cost.

"Stop protecting that witch ! She turned Master into something abnormal ! How can you defend her ?" shouted the four-eyed girl, yet cancelling her attack and floating down to stop at a short distance of her sisters.

"It's… It's because… Master loves her… that we defend her…" shyly said Timid.

"Hey, what's the matter here ?"

The speaker was Rude, who together with Sloth, just came to a halt close to the group.

"She tried to murder Jinx !" screamed Happy, for once everything but happy.

"Monster" deadpanned Sloth.

Rage's anger level started to rise again. Her four eyes narrowed and she gritted her teeth.

"Watch your mouth, lazy fool, or you'll be sorry !" the deep voice threatened.

"Jinx ! Oh no, JINX !"

The emoticlones felt a shiver run down their spine as they heard the distraught tone of their owner, who was now landing with Knowledge.

The empath ran to her beloved, who lay motionless on the stony ground, kneeled down to her and took her in her arms, her eyes watering. She immediately let her senses search the pulse… and was relieved to feel it, much slowed down, yet fortunately still present.

"Rage, what did you do ?" asked Knowledge in a sinister tone.

"Justice" simply replied the holder of Trigon's evil heritage.

Raven's head shot up, her beautiful face twisted by a horrible grimace of pure fury.

"Justice ?! JUSTICE ?! How _**DARE**_ you call this justice ?! How could you DO such a thing ?"

"She invaded my domain !" stated the dangerous emotion.

"And so what ?! You try to kill anybody coming into your area ?! Then why the hell are we still all alive right now, since we're in your precious domain ?!"

"Master, she attacked me ! She attacked me from the rear, sneakily ! How am I supposed to react ? Let her beat me up ?"

"You were **not** forced to make her unconscious ! You could have imprisoned her and called me telepathically ! Why didn't you ? Besides, who attacked first : her… or you ? Tell me the truth, Rage !"

"It was me. But she lacked respect to me !"

Raven exploded in deafening hollering.

"AND SO, YOU ATTACK HER BECAUSE SHE IS IMPOLITE TO YOU ?! CAN'T YOU ONCE IN YOUR LIFE ACT IN A MODERATE WAY, IN PROPORTION TO THE OTHER'S DEED ? YOU DON'T ATTACK IF SOMEONE IS HARSH TO YOU ! YOU ONLY DO IF YOU'RE ATTACKED FIRST, TO DEFEND YOURSELF ! AND ANYWAY, WHY WOULD JINX LACK RESPECT TO YOU ? IT'S TOTALLY UNLIKE HER !"

"She called me a 'monster' ! Isn't that disrespectful enough ?"

"Sometimes I have the feeling that it's what you are, given your incontrollable violence : a monster."

Rage's four eyes briefly opened to their maximum, but soon narrowed as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

"You always despise me, Master. I'll never know what to do to gain your respect. Whatever I do is wrong. With all due respect, I'm continuously hurt by your sternness, it makes me sick. But you're my owner, and I can't but accept all this anyway." A brief silence. "So what's my punishment ?"

Raven mused for a couple of seconds.

"You'll stay imprisoned for a whole month in a magical prison, right here, on this very spot where you knocked down the one I love. That perhaps will make you ponder things, and maybe once in your violent existence, will have you realize you went too far… But before I trap you, I want to know what the reason of your argument was in the first place."

Rage looked away, averting the violet gaze.

"I have nothing to say. Please imprison me now."

"I'll find out anyway, Rage. Jinx will tell me once I've healed her. And we will have a discussion at the end of the month. Until then, I don't want to hear of you."

Raven's eyes turned a shiny black.

"_AZARATH, METRION, ZINTHOS _!"

A black cube formed around Rage, just big enough for the demonic emotion to remain upright, in standing position.

"And don't even try to destroy that prison : I will know if you do !" warned the empath.

"I won't" said a resigned Rage, who had now sat down.

All the emoticlones were staring at their problematic sister, who didn't return the gazes, her four eyes directed at the ground. There was anger, indignation, disappointment, incomprehension and even sadness in the cloaked girls' eyes. The one visually expressing sadness was Knowledge, who had already tried, quite a few times, to reason with the most impulsive of all emotions, together with Happy. But her efforts had been, and therefore remained, vain. And this really brought sorrow in the heart of the wisest emoticlone.

"Will… will she be okay, Master ?" asked Love, her wet eyes on the unconscious female magician.

"She will be. I will heal her right away, and she will be. I thank you all for coming here and protecting Jinx. I know I can count on… _you_."

Raven's eyes briefly glanced at the dark cube as she uttered that.

"Curse on that insane emotion !" growled Brave, fists still clenched.

"She deserves all this ! She really does !" insisted Happy.

"Serves her right…" concluded Rude, frowning.

Raven nodded slowly, upset still haunting her.

"Look, I suggest you now all resumed your activities. I know it won't go without saying, but don't worry, I will take good care of Jinx. This should not ruin your day. After all, she's still alive, and as long as she is, I can heal her. So please be at rest, alright ?"

"We… we will try…" hesitantly said Timid.

"Definitely" added Sloth.

The emotions took off, except for the Yellow Cloak. The latter approached her Master, who now held her hurt beloved in her arms, and gently laid a hand on the blue-cloaked shoulder, her fingers on the top softly squeezing said shoulder in a comfort gesture.

"Thank you, Knowledge" whispered Raven whose eyes had started watering again.

A sorry smile briefly showed on the intelligent face.

"Anytime, Master. If you need anything… I'm here for you, and so are the others."

"I know. And I appreciate." Rae said through her tears. "I have to go now."

She gave a quick glance at the prison, where Rage still had her head hung.

"If she tries anything, warn me immediately, okay ?" the violet-eyed girl demanded.

"Of course, Master. And I suggest that, one day, you bring Jinx again in Nevermore and introduce her to us, if that's okay with you."

Raven nodded and a black sphere wrapped her and Jinx.

A second later, Knowledge was standing alone.

She turned her head to gaze at Rage, and let out a deep, long sigh…

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The two bodies were now in Raven's bed, and the Violet Enchantress held the Pink one in her arms, dark energy continuously flowing from the first one and entering the second one's organism to heal it, slowly but surely.

Raven focused on the healing, hoping Jinx would wake up before the evening, but still ready to spend the whole day in her room if Jinx's condition required it. She was ready to give everything she had, in terms of energy, to have her girlfriend back in top form, even if that meant spending hours and hours by her side, sending her her healing power non-stop.

_I swear I will crush Rage if she ever does something similar again ! She has no excuse ! She deserves this month of imprisonment. And I swear she __**will**__ apologize to Jinx, even if I must force her… or use all of my powers for that !_

The half-demon had told Robin she would be busy meditating in her room with Jinx, probably for a few hours, and demanded that nobody disturbed her, under _any_ excuse. She had asked him to exceptionally spare her and Jinx an intervention, in case of a villain needing to be "taken care of", because that meditation was of "crucial importance". The leader had agreed to that, yet insisted that it remained indeed exceptional.

But, better safe than sorry, the Dark Titan had still encased her door in dark magic, to block it… just in case.

Time flowed slowly, so slowly in the room of the Azarathian. Minutes became half hours, which in turn became one hour, two hours…

Raven held Jinx dearly against her heart, giving her her strength, mending her damaged body at best. Rage had badly harmed the Hex, but there was nothing that Rae couldn't "repair" with her demonic energy.

After the third hour had passed, the empath, who had changed position to lie by her love, started feeling woozy. The great amount of power she had left in the healing was now taking its toll.

Her eyes closed.

She reopened them, but after a while, they went shut again, against her will.

She once again reopened them, making them wide this time, to avoid exhaustion get a hold of her.

It lasted a few minutes, but eventually, tiredness won once more.

There were two more attempts from Rae, but she naturally lost both times.

A few minutes later, both girls were unconscious, Raven's arm still around Jinx's body, her head against her beloved, violet hair resting on the pink one, their chests regularly heaving in the quietness of the room, a striking change after such dramatic events …

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**** :**

**(1) sensitive senses : honestly, guys, don't you love alliterations…? No ? Ah, folks, where in the world have gone your poetic studies, those from back in high school ? ;P**

**(2) the "four-eyed" girl : I found out that this expression is colloquial to refer to one wearing eyeglasses. I put it between quotation marks "" to make a distinction with the one REALLY having four eyes : Rage. If I was speaking about the latter, I would have written it **_**without**_** those quotation marks : the four-eyed girl. So much for multiple-eyes description… ;)**

**(3) Nevermore's functioning : I stated that violence wasn't immediately noticeable in Nevermore, and that it had to reach a certain level to be perceptible by both Raven and her emoticlones. Of course, this is all my invention, part of my imagination, as we naturally ignore how Nevermore really functions… But I thought it would somehow make sense to have any display of power not immediately noticeable : coz knowing everything immediately would make things a bit too "easy", don't ya think, pals ?**

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**So, dark's dark, isn't it ? I wanted something darker, that would challenge Jinx, so here it was.**

**I hope I did well, but I have a good feeling about this chappy here. Let's see, reading your reviews, if you have the same feeling.**

**I was glad to involve again the emoticlones. I just love "working with them". They're one of Raven's aspects that fascinate me the most. And yeah, in this part, Rage indeed embodies all negative reactions of people against homosexuality, but mostly the violent ones. Because there are some stupid "fuckheads" who are intolerant enough to beat the hell out of gays and lesbians. Frankly, these people, I'd love to see them handicapped, with both legs broken, coz they bloody deserve it ! Homophobes can go get crushed ! They are not the worst kind ever (racists are damn worse !), but they still are nuisances.**

**Oh, while I think of it : dunno if I already told ya this, but if you wanna read really good sTTories, go read works by author(ess) WRITERZERO ! It's just awesome, wonderfully thought and written, with great ideas and catchy battles, as well as touching intimate sequences. Go read, tell ya !**

**Right, time to give this a rest ! After all, I can't always write 9'000, or even 10'000, can I ? Now **_**that**_** would be insane, wouldn't it ? ;P**

**Thanxxxx beforehand for anyone reading, and even more following, and even even more favoriting, and even even even more reviewing, and even even ev- okay, shutting it ! XD**

**Take care, FFellows ! ^_**

**Peace, Love, Ecstasy !**

**))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Bloc PartER (((((((((((((((((((((((((((**


	13. Rainbows only come after the rain

**)))))))))))) XII ((((((((((((**

**)))) "RaInBoWs OnLy CoMe AfTeR tHe RaIn" ((((**

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**Howdy, Girls and Boys !**

**(Girls first, for courtesy's sake, uh uh !)**

**Hope that you're all doing well, and nobody's sick atm, that studies are running their course just fine (…hopefully…), that your family life, friend life and love life all are all great too !**

**So, about last chapter… I was, all things considered, really proud of it. I personally consider it one of my best for this fic', and although I don't deem myself as talented as others when it comes down to action scenes (like battles and such), I think that chappy was okay, action-wise. There are not necessarily that many chapters a writer can feel proud of, but when it is the case, that writer for sure feels it deep in the guts.**

**Right, so first of all, thanxxxx **_**Soleana**_** for favoriting the story. You had already put a story alert and reviewed… in FRENCH ! That was way cool ! And then you go all out and end up favoriting it as well. All the three done ! Thanxxxx a wonderful lot again, Miss ! Such amazing support is just… just… sorry, I lack words here ! :DDD**

**Also, thank ya **_**weather witch name-zo**_** (what an alias ! XD) and **_**Tannercw**___**for putting a story alert. Glad ya liked what ya found. :DD**

**Now, a reply to guest user **_**BitchWNoheart**_**, who very nicely reviewed twice in a row (chap's 3 and 4) : regarding the Author's Notes in the middle of the story (chap. 3), agreed, and that's fixed now; but regarding Jinx being the leader of H5 and not Gizmo, that can't be fixed… because, figure out this is part of my own stuff for this story. I chose to make Gizmo the leader ISO Jinx. I wanted her to find herself in inferior position to add to the drama. So, it's just part of my inventions for the plot. Therefore, I'm afraid you'll have to cope with this original idea… Same goes for the protagonists being OoC, btw : my own idea, so, basically, deal with it. ;)**

**Oh, I forgot to precise something in the last chapter : the black cube that appeared around Rage is see-through, hence the possibility for all to see what she's doing inside, how she positions herself in it and so on. I just had that idea of a black see-through cube for prison… dunno, I just liked the idea of that paradox : something black… yet giving visual access to what's inside !**

**N'JOY !**

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Four Titans were eating in the common room.

On one side of the large table, Cyborg and Beast Boy were chatting about the forthcoming baseball match, scheduled on Channel 4 that evening, and both were so thrilled about it.

On the other side, Starfire was asking Robin about the "human arts" : what they were, how they were performed, what they required for skills…

All were engaged in pretty stimulating verbal exchanges, clearly radiating happiness.

None of them could have guessed that both sorceresses, as for them, had had a very trying morning : disquieting, upsetting, frightening… in a nutshell, a pretty tiresome one ! And that both therefore were on the contrary as far as happiness as could be. The female wizards were still currently asleep in Raven's room, both slumbering bodies curled up against each other, sharing their warmth.

At some point of lunch, there was a lull in the conversations. All four merely engulfed food and drinks, and for two or three minutes, the room was silent.

It was the changeling who spoke next, and his question tickled everybody's curiosity.

"Hey guys, didn't you notice anything different about Raven ?"

The other three were staring intently, then an answer came.

"Mmmmh… I'd say she seems… less distant than before. Like, not that apathetic anymore. She has started smiling, not exactly often, but quite a few times already" remarked Cyborg.

"I agree. She also leaves her hood down, much more than she did in the past. Actually, except for the last training session, I've never seen her hood up anymore. And even for that session, she put it up at the very last moment, while she usually arrives already "hooded". That's really new about her" Robin explained them.

"Yes, and she has become good friend with Jinx. They spend a lot of time together. Friend Raven had introduced Friend Jinx to meditation, and it is good they can share that" added Starfire.

"You said it, Star: they spend a lot of time together !" exclaimed the green boy. "Like, **most** of the time ! Raven has been far less present with us since Jinx joined the team. You noticed it, right ?"

They all looked thoughtful. The changeling thus knew he had "hit the bull's eye".

"It's true" admitted the leader. "But it's logical, since they have become such close friends. It may be due to the fact they are both sorceresses. Personally, I thought that their strong friendship was due either to this common point, or to similar natures. That is, that they have analogous personalities, psychologies. But I'm glad Raven could find someone with whom she could find such affinities. She undeniably likes us, yet I'd say we aren't as close to her as we could be. Because we are psychologically different, have different interests from hers. Jinx being en enchantress as well, and perhaps a similar nature, it's only logical they would have more in common and therefore become friends more easily."

"Yeah, but come on ! She's ignoring us lately ! Is that how friendship's supposed to work ?!" almost screamed BB.

Cyborg snorted, his arms crossed.

"And since when do YOU care about Raven ignoring us, and about being friend with her ?" asked the African-American. "You never actually propose her any activity, barely speak to her, and the few times you two have a word are when she scolds you for your ridiculous pranks and lousy jokes… I would understand if you were concerned about me or Robin being distant, or simply spending more time with other people than yourself : it would make sense, since we're great buddies. But Raven and you…?!"

The changeling crossed his arms, glaring at the robotic teenager.

"Hey, because I don't do much with her doesn't imply I don't give a damn about her ! If I cared that little about her, would I bother making that remark about Raven spending more time with Jinx than with us all ?!"

Starfire artlessly put her hand on the green boy's shoulder.

"Friend Beast Boy, we do not think you care not about Friend Raven. You just spend more time with your male companions. But about Friend Raven and Friend Jinx, I am not upset about their friendship and understand that they spend so much time together if they get along so wonderfully…"

Beast Boy cast a vexed look at each of his teammates in turn.

"So you guys basically understand and approve Raven steering clear from us, her old friends, and sticking to Jinx, who only just arrived in the team ?"

"BB, calm down, Man !" Cy told him, raising his voice a bit, which gave away a certain annoyance at the shapeshifter's insistence on the topic. "Raven has always spent much time on her own, meditating in her room, and we always accepted it, didn't we ? She needs privacy more than we do, and if Jinx has the same nature, then, as Robin just phrased it : it's only logical they stay together. This doesn't mean she's a "less good" friend. But, like Rob, I think that it's cool if Jinx helped her find some relational balance."

"Thanks for agreeing, Cy !" acknowledged the acrobat.

"I do think like Friend Cyborg does. But I also understand you, Friend Beast Boy, and I sympathize with you all the same."

"Mmmmh, 'kyou" mumbled the morpher, mangling his thank you out of frustration. He didn't accept _any_ of his friends endorsing him. Yet what could he do about that…?

The rest of the lunch was as silent as it had been lively during its first half.

Robin, while chewing his food, appeared particularly thoughtful…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

"Mmmmh…" moaned the empath, slowly opening her eyes.

She felt warmth against her, and raising her head, her amethyst irises directed upwards, she met those pink orbs with vertical slits she now was so fond of.

The thin grey lips right below stretched into a soft smile.

"Morning, Rae. Or rather, afternoon. How are you feeling ?"

The demonic human stared at her girlfriend and tried to return the smile, weakly managing to do so.

"Exhausted. But nevermind me. How are _**you**_ ?"

Jinx sighed.

"Much better than when I was in that parallel universe, with that infernal demon. She resembled you, but had four red eyes and a red cloak. For a brief moment, I thought it was you who was possessed, and therefore had grown a supplementary pair of eyes… until she mentioned you !"

Raven made a visible effort to sit up straight, her eyes half-closed. She visibly was very tired.

"I know. Sorry about that. The girl you met is one of my emotions."

"One of your emotions ?"

"Yes. Actually, I am… different than humans. My mother Arella told me that he one who sired me together with her, the demon Trigon, had her emotions embodied by small demons similar to him, but in different colours. These embodied emotions lived inside his head, in his mind. So, the same is valid for me : almost all my emotions look exactly like me, but have cloaks of different colours. Only two have additional specificities, making them slightly different : the emotion you saw, Rage, has four eyes instead of two, and these eyes are red. That's because Rage represents my demonic fury, which is heritage from Trigon, and so, just like Trigon, Rage has these four red eyes. They are distinctive demon features. The other one with a specific item is Knowledge, who represents my intelligence and wisdom. She, unlike all other emotions, has glasses, and it's logical given she reads a lot. But all of my emotions basically look like me. And they are called 'emoticlones' because they are **emoti**onal **clones** of me."

Raven then observed Jinx, her look now alert despise the great tiredness, because she was both curious and interested in her girlfriend's reaction about all this new information.

"So… your emotions are lookalikes of you, called emoticlones, and they come from that demon Trigon, who… who was your father, if I understand correctly ?"

The violet half-demon sighed.

"He still _is_ my father, but I don't want to call him 'father' since I hate him. That's why I used that phrase 'the one who sired me'. And yes, the emoticlones come from him, it's part of his heritage… more specifically, the one with four red eyes wearing a red cloak, Rage. She represents Trigon's demonic fury."

There was a fleeting silence, then Raven put in words what was in thoughts.

"Jinki, what happened with Rage ? Why did she fight you ? How did it start ? And how exactly did you land in her domain ?"

Jinx's chest rose and sank with a visible effort.

"Here is how it all occurred. I was done with Robin showing me the Teen Titans archives, so I went into your room to see if you were yourself done with that personal stuff you had to take care of. I found a mirror on your bed and threw a look in it. A black thing caught me and dragged me into the mirror. I then found myself in an unknown place, under a black sky, pieces of landed hanging in the void. I found a platform with eight stone arches and walked through one. It was a magical portal, and the place I arrived in was a plain filled with geysers. And that's when she arrived… Rage, right ? She told me about 'Master', I asked her who it was and she replied it was you, Rae. But the thing who really made all hell break loose was what she said : that I was a 'filthy little slut', a dirty lesbian, an abnormal girl who had 'perverted you' and made you love someone not your gender, which was a perversion to her. I protested and replied harshly, and that's when she attacked me. I managed to hit her, but then a black substance emanated from her and grasped me, holding me tight. I couldn't move anymore. The substance then lifted me and crashed me to the ground. Once, twice, three times… it happened five times, I think, before she released me. I fell heavily and watched her… and then I don't remember anything else. I passed out, I guess."

The Titan with the gemstone nodded.

"You did. And I healed you until now, hence my tiredness. But nevermind me, as I said. I really fumed about Rage's behaviour, and still do, now that I know how she treated you and how she spoke to you. She should never have told you this, NEVER ! I won't forgive her, and she really deserves the month of imprisonment I gave her !"

"You imprisoned her ?"

"I did. I imprisoned her in a magical prison, in Nevermore. Oh, I forgot to tell you : Nevermore is the name of the place where all my emotions live. It is located inside of my mind, as is logical for emotions, since they are created by the mind, and it contains several domains, one for each emoticlone. Rage's domain is that plain with geysers. But there are much more welcoming domains, like the one of Happy, my merriest emotion."

Jinx marveled at everything she heard.

"That's incredible. So you've got a full universe populated with emotions inside your mind ?"

"I do. And actually, Knowledge, that emoticlone wearing glasses I briefly mentioned earlier, asked me to take you back to Nevermore one day, so I can properly introduce you to all of my emotions. But we will wait a bit for this. Given your bad experience for your first time in Nevermore, I think it preferable. And when we come back, I will make sure Rage apologizes for what she did !"

The pink-eyed sorceress was thoughtful.

"Yes, I will be honored to meet your emoticlones. I'm sure I will get along with them without problem. Except with Rage, of course…"

Raven was now gritting her teeth, looking down.

"She will pay for what she did to you ! I swear she _**will**_ !"

Then she felt warmth on her left cheek, and noticed that Jinx's arm was stretched in direction of her face.

The former emotionless teen put her hand over the Badlucker's and smiled, blinking slowly, fatigue still straining her.

"Calm down, Rae. Forget about Rage. Just think about us now. And rest some more : you definitely look exhausted. But as for me, maybe I should go see the others. They must be wondering where we are and what we're up to…"

"Don't worry, Jinki. I explained Robin that we would need a few meditation hours, that it was especially important today, and not only did he agree : he even accepted to exceptionally spare us any duty mission this afternoon, if any alert sounded. You can safely stay with me, and we'll come out together, okay ?"

The once evil student smiled.

"Okay. Then I will have to thank him for that. But for now…"

And instead of finishing her sentence, she actually used gesture to complete it : putting her other hand on Raven's right cheek, she tenderly held the empath's face within her hands and closed in her own face… and both grey mouths softly met for the sweetest kiss…

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Raven and Jinx finally came out of the Azarathian's room in the "late afternoon", around 5:30 p.m.

They immediately headed to the common room, willing to apologize for their relatively long absence that day.

There was nobody there.

Raven first thought that their four teammates had gone on mission, but she quickly realized that Jinx and herself would necessarily have heard any alert signal, should one have sounded. And the Hex hadn't informed her of any alert. Therefore, the others couldn't possibly have left the Tower to battle villains.

But they potentially could be patrolling.

Or actually, may also have gone out for leisure, if the calmness of the day allowed it.

"I will check anyway if they are here" intoned the Dark Titan.

She closed her eyes and let her empathic sense flow out of her.

Then she reopened her eyes and looked at Jinx.

"Robin and Starfire are still here, in the operations room, which we also call control room. But Cyborg and Beast Boy are absent."

"I really like your powers, how you can sense people's presence, and even know how they feel. It's really interesting… although it may involve inconvenience, in terms of feelings' probing."

"It can be a drawback, but generally isn't. Let's go find Rob and Star."

They soon reached the operations room and found Robin explaining Starfire about the differences between the two distinct ways the police and the Titans archived their criminal files.

Noticing that, Jinx couldn't help thinking that, on that particular day, Robin was pretty much into criminal archives.

"Ah, there you are at last…" said a smiling Boy Wonder.

He didn't seem ironic or reproachful about it. And his smile appeared a definitely sincere one : he was indeed pleased to see them, and his comment sounded like one of teasing, not one of reproach.

"Yeah, at last, as you say…" replied the Dark Titan, smirking nicely as she had understood his remark was just mere joshing. "Look, we are sorry for staying away that long, Robin. But we needed to. I hope you didn't get any alert while we were absent."

She already knew the answer to that, but wanted him to realize she was concerned about it.

"No, we didn't. I had informed the team about your absence, but it was alright. There wasn't much to do anyway, so it's all fine."

"Robin, I wanted to thank for allowing us this exceptional leave" kindly uttered the Hex. "I realize it's not easy to ask such a favour, especially since I'm new here, but… I'm grateful, really."

The acrobat's smile widened.

"No problem. If I can help, I will. Besides, Raven rarely ever asks me to take a brief leave, so I knew it was important to her and therefore couldn't refuse."

"Yes, Friend Robin, most of thanks for allowing our friends some rest. You are so kind to them. Thank you so very much !" joyfully chirped the Tamaranean.

Robin grinned as he saw the upbeat alien physically show her enthusiasm.

"All cool, Star !" he said, giving her a thumb up.

Then he turned to Raven and stared at her.

"Yes, what is it, Robin ?" she asked.

"No no, nothing. It's okay."

He appeared relaxed, and yet she somehow sensed he was hiding something.

"I don't think it is. There's something you were about to say, yet didn't. I sensed it. What is it ?"

Robin quickly glanced at the Pink Sorceress, then back at the Violet one.

"Look, Raven…" He hesitated, not sure how to put it, then finally sighed : "I prefer we discuss it this evening, after dinner, if that's okay with you."

"Alright. I'll make sure you don't forget."

The blue orbs hidden behind the mask held the gaze of the amethyst ones for several seconds, both Titans daring the other to look away.

Jinx and Starfire worriedly observed them, not appreciating the way things had suddenly turned.

It was finally the leader who stopped staring and turned around to get back to business.

Raven looked at her secret love.

"Come with me."

The horned witch followed her, anxiousness still dripping from her.

"Rae… is everything alright ? I didn't like how it went in there, in the end…"

Her beloved glanced at her.

"I cannot confirm yet that everything is alright. It all depends on what Robin has to tell me tonight. But one thing is for sure : it's never good when one hesitates to speak, and delays the discussion time…"

The black-clad female by her side couldn't help but gulp…

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

The inheritor of Trigon's worst side was lying on the black surface of the see-through cube, her four eyes closed. Yet, despite appearances, she wasn't asleep. She was both resting and pondering.

The yellow-cloaked female who had been meditating under a nearby tree opened her eyes, behind her thick glasses, and uncrossed her legs to soon be back in standing position.

She quietly approached the cube and sat down, hiding arms and legs under the yellow fabric, her head being the only element not hidden by the cloak.

She stared intently at the red-clad figure lying motionless on the other side of the magical cell, not making a single sound.

Yet, despite Knowledge remaining absolutely silent, Rage still sensed her presence, and opening her four eyes, she directed them at her wise sister, as her head slowly turned to the left.

The four burning slits remained glued to the two violet orbs hidden behind the glass of the spectacles, but no word was uttered.

There was sadness on the features of the sitting emoticlone, but an indescribable absence of emotion on those of the lying emotion.

After a long silence, the demonic being opened her mouth.

"I'm listening to you, Knowledge."

"Why, Rage ? Why ?"

The addressee's chest quickly heaved, as a sigh escaped her lungs.

Then the red-dressed emotion sat up, opposite her similarly sitting sister, and looked her straight in the eye.

"Because Jinx made Master become… abnormal. It's not normal for a female to love another female. You and I both know that, Knowledge, and the others are aware of that indisputable fact as well. Same-gender love is a perversion, in the sense that it perverts what is meant to be : love between men and women. And a perversion in unacceptable. It's… somewhat disgusting, somewhat dirty, and must be fought."

Rage was quiet and stared intently at her reasonable sister, waiting for her arguments.

"I agree that same-gender love is not in the norms of life. Because biology requires that species aims at their own perpetuation through reproduction, and producing new life is something that homosexual couples can't do. In that sense, it is not in the scope of normality. But is it unacceptable for all that ? Why should we condemn homosexuality ? Lesbians and gays cannot have children by the natural means, i.e. mating, but is that enough a reason to torment them and seek to beat them up, or even try to destroy them ? Isn't everyone free to love their own way, according to their own preferences ?"

Rage had listened without interrupting, and it was now her turn.

The four crimson slits narrowed.

"I understand your arguments, but do you really think we should accept abnormality ? Since it's a perversion of Nature's basic rules, after all… Aren't you shocked upon thinking that Master no longer is normal ?"

The violent one was trying to "corner" the calm one with killer arguments, to force her to admit she was right after all.

But Knowledge was pretty difficult to convince, and she too had decisive arguments.

"Master herself is intrinsically "abnormal", since half of her bears the genes of a demon. Yet she nevertheless was accepted by the other Titans… who themselves aren't normal : one is green and can change into animals, another is half-robot and one is an alien. There is only Robin who may be considered normal. And still, we don't know everything about him, so I'm not entirely sure he is 100% normal. But you get my point : the Titans are a non-normal team, yet each of them accepts the others, and the City accepts them because they are heroes. So if being abnormal leads to being that revered by thousands of people, then I see no good reason to be against abnormality."

For once, Rage couldn't find anything pertinent to reply to that.

"And there is something else you must seriously reflect on" continued the Yellow Cloak. "Master is happy with Jinx. So she's happy loving a girl… therefore happy being a lesbian, and by deduction, happy being abnormal. She loves her and doesn't care if she's not supposed to love a female : she's just living that different love freely, to the maximum, and it makes her blissful. By attacking and seriously harming Jinx, you shattered her happiness and therefore badly hurt her feelings. You, one of her emotions, you made her unhappy, sad, angry, resentful, while all of her emotions are supposed to take care of her, since she's our owner and it's our duty to respect her and do our best to make her well-balanced, happy. Master was content the way she was, and none of us emotions had the right to act against this. It's a very serious wrongdoing for an emotion to work **against** its owner to such an extreme, and prevent her from experiencing love… and a stable emotional balance which she has been trying to gain since her birth ! By depriving her of both these things she longed for, you terribly hurt her, psychologically and emotionally !"

Again, Rage couldn't find anything to oppose to such severe speech. She had to admit that Knowledge definitely knew how to be persuasive and come up with the wisest words.

"You really should take the time to rethink your attitude. I understand your divergence of opinion about homosexuality, since after all there obligatorily will be people criticizing this difference, yet I insist on your fault at attacking Jinx. You didn't have the right to do that, Rage, no matter how much you disagree with Master's personal love choice. None of us emoticlones had the right to hurt Master's beloved. It was a crime. I hope you'll realize it, instead of sticking to your guns, as you usually do. This is much more serious than anything else you have done in the past, which was easier to forgive. This time, you really made Master suffer way more… Think about that."

The holder of Raven's sapience rose and, after one last look at her unruly sister, turned around, ready to leave.

"Knowledge !"

Curiously enough, Rage's voice held a hint of uneasiness… even, perhaps, of _worry_. Which was extremely rare for the Red Cloak.

The glasses-wearing emoticlone faced her four-eyed sibling once again and waited.

"You're the one I respect the most, Knowledge, and I want to apologize for making you sad and worried. We may have completely opposite opinions about Master's sentimental life, but… I still respect your opinion, even if don't agree. And I just… regret that I'm causing you concern. You're the one I would least annoy… I hope there's a chance for you to forgive me eventually…?"

The yellow-clad female sighed, observing the apologetic demon in front of her.

"I am somewhat touched by your being sorry and asking for my forgiveness. You never did that, as far as I can recall. That's completely new, and it puzzles me a bit. Now, I will forgive you only if you reconsider your action and agree that it was not acceptable. And if you apologize to both Master and Jinx. Only then, I can forgive you."

"But -"

"NO ! There is no contradicting me !" severely scolded the unofficial leader of the emoticlones, now frowning. "I told you what you needed to take care of to earn my pardon. You know what is to be done. Your choice, Rage. But I don't want to hear any other complaint ! Ponder all this and make the right decision !"

And with that said, Knowledge retreated, leaving a thoughtful Rage alone with her guilt…

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"Ah, here you are at last…" ironically commented BB as he entered the common with Cyborg, his green eyes set on the two enchantresses.

"Nice to see you !" added the cybernetic Titan, in a more friendly way.

"Yeah, sorry for the absence…" apologized Jinx.

"We really needed some time out. Energy-wise, we were somewhat short, and needed rest to "recharge our batteries", if I can put it that way" explained Raven.

"You were that tired ? How so ?" wondered Cy.

"Difficult to explain… it just turned out that way, and there it was" concluded the empath, making it clear she didn't want to precise any further.

"Okay then…" shrugged the African-American.

But the look the shapeshifter gave his dark teammate was less casual…

The meal went alright, with Cyborg telling the rest of the Titans what BB and him had been up to : going to the fair that had just settled in the outskirts of Jump City and trying different activities, from the "ghost train" to balloon shooting, with plenty of carousels in between.

The metallic teenager was quite enthusiastic about it, but Beast Boy curiously appeared more reserved.

Starfire told the group how she would love to go to the "fair of attractions", an expression based on the famous model of "mall of shopping", and all smiled at her ingenuous exuberance about it. The alien's enthusiasm always warmed the hearts and stretched the mouths upward.

During the meal, one of the Titans looked at Jinx several times, but always discreetly, always briefly, for nobody to notice.

And that Titan was not Raven…

The dinner over, Robin approached the meditation adept.

"Let's go in the corner of the room, to avoid eavesdropping, if that's okay with you."

The cloaked female nodded and turned to Jinx, opening the telepathic channel.

_Jinx, it's me. I suggest you do something with Star, unless you prefer going to your room. It certainly won't be too long, though. We're just going in a corner of this room to discuss things quietly._

The Hex focused on her reply, and tried telepathy for the first time.

_Okay, Rae. I'll be chatting with Star then._

The female with the vertical pupils wanted to remain in the same room as her lover, because she felt she had to do it. What Robin was about to tell Raven might be serious, and her presence, she felt, was some kind of support, even if she didn't personally take part to the discussion.

Sensing that the matter about to be brought up may be delicate, if not problematic, Raven adopted a defensive stance : she crossed her arms and remained stiff in front of the leader.

The latter briefly glanced at her, noting the determined attitude, and quickly dampened his lips, knowing he would have a lot to say.

"Look, Raven, I first would like to kindly ask you not to take what I will tell you the wrong way. There is no harm or nothing displeasing intended in what I will explain to you."

"Continue" she simply replied, the unpleasant feeling about that conversation developing some more.

"So, one of us remarked that, since Jinx joined the team, you spent most of your time with her, and barely with us. And he was… hum, a tad disappointed that you had grown somewhat distant from us." But Robin hurried to add something he hoped would defuse beforehand any potential tension : "Yet as for me, I didn't think the same. I can't deny that you have been staying more often with Jinx, still it doesn't specifically bother me. I assume you two have a lot in common, not just the fact that you both are sorceresses : it certainly relates to your own natures, your own psychologies being similar, hence your mutual attraction."

An involuntary shiver ran down the half-demon's spine at these last two words.

_If he knew how much exactly these two words fit to Jinx and I…_

Robin didn't know what to add for the time being, so he remained silent and scrutinized his teammate's emotionless face, trying to detect even the tiniest sign that would hint at her state of mind.

But the grey face appeared stoic and kept the same patient facade, any emotion well hidden in the depths.

"Thank you for letting me know, Robin. I admit I spent a lot of time with Jinx, because, as you say, we get along with each other really fine. We are on the same wavelength, as they say. And we really enjoy each other's company that much." Her dull features slightly change to show a bit of concern. "But of course, I understand that my unusual absence from you all may have puzzled you, or even ticked you off… I apologize for this."

Her expression didn't appear apologetic, but the emotionless Titan always meant her excuses, and Robin knew that her unchanged features nevertheless didn't cast any doubt on her sincerity.

The Masked Titan discreetly let out a sigh of relief.

"No problem. I'm actually pleased to hear you didn't take it the wrong way, and got upset over something that isn't meant to annoy, but merely to point out a fact that slightly disappointed one of us. Who it was… isn't important, the main point is the matter itself. I'm glad we could talk this over. You see, no one is asking you to continue spending as much time with us as you did… but we simply want to make sure you still do something with the rest of the team, every now and then. I understand you particularly value Jinx's company, yet it would be a pity to see any of us, your good old mates, only once a month or so. I hope you understand and agree…"

The empath looked at him with the same inexpressive eyes, remaining neutral in attitude.

Jinx, who was listening to Starfire, still couldn't help casting concerned glances at the duo discreetly discussing in the corner of the room, wondering what the topic of their talk could be.

"I understand. But I would be curious to know the identity of that Titan who complained about my lack of presence with you all."

Robin cleared his throat.

"It's… It's not what matters, Raven. It could be anybody, really. What matters is what he _said_."

"What _he_ said… so it's either Beast Boy or Cyborg…" mused the Goth.

Boy Wonder cursed himself mentally for giving away a clue about the gender of the Titan who had made that remark about Raven's recent "retreat".

"Cyborg wouldn't make such a remark" continued the Dark Titan. "I know he has always respected my intimacy. On the other hand, Beast Boy made an ironic remark when he came home, about how we 'finally were there'. So I guess he's the one who complained about me spending time with Jinx… right ?"

Her stare showed no bowing of her determination, and visibly implied that the half-demon would not accept another way-out.

Robin looked at her for long seconds, feeling all the weight of her determined gaze, and he knew it would be futile to try to avoid replying her.

He finally nodded.

"I knew it. But I must confess my surprise about it : Beast Boy never proposes me any activity, barely speaks to me… yet he's the one to point out my being "distant" ! Why would he care if I don't spend time with him, since he never seeks out my company ?"

"Mmmmh… true. It was either Cyborg or myself to point out that same argument. Beast Boy didn't know exactly what to reply to that…"

Raven was silent for a few more seconds, before concluding their discussion.

"Anyway, Jinx and I will try to not be too exclusive, and to do a bit more with the rest of you. We don't want the team to be "cut in two" because of all this…"

"Thank you, Raven. Thank you very much. Although we are not _that_ upset about it all, we still had noticed you being less present with us. And, well, you're our friend, as Jinx now is, and we wouldn't want some friends to… you know, stay away from the rest of the team… And please, do not go speak to BB about that."

"It's okay, Robin. As I said, I understand. And I don't think I will go see Beast Boy about it. I don't promise anything, but if things remain to that point, I guess I'll be okay with it."

"Thanks again, Raven."

The grey-skinned teen nodded and, turning around, she walked away.

As she withdrew from the common room, she sent another telepathic message to Jinx.

_Please, Jinki, stay a bit longer in the common room with Starfire. I prefer we don't leave the room together. It's nothing much serious, but… I'll explain to you later ! Don't worry though !_

Jinx didn't reply, but she gulped… and felt her temperature briskly sink !

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"What happened ? What did he say ?" asked a concerned hex-thrower as soon as she had entered the "lair" of her fellow half-demon.

Rae repressed a deep sigh.

"Let's go talk on the bed…"

She still encased the door in dark energy, just in case… Again, better safe than sorry.

They sat and the vertical pupils stuck to the round ones, eagerly awaiting.

"Robin let me know that Beast Boy had made a remark about us. About how we spent so much time together and… therefore, not so much with the rest of the team. I guess that "masked reproach" is more specifically directed at me, because I'm long-time friend with them. You being new in the team, I don't think they would mind as much as they do about me."

The chakra Titan paused and observed her girlfriend.

The latter knew what her loved one expected from her.

"Well… I understand that they would be a bit… jealous of me…" conceded Jinx. "After all, I'm new among the Titans, and I get why they would find it… hum, "hard to swallow". I really can't blame them for wishing you to remain close to them." She stared at the violet-eyed female gazing back at her. "Are you… Are you resentful against Beast Boy for making that remark ?"

The once emotionally-unstable girl let out a sigh that did express some upset.

"I can understand and admit him pointing at my somewhat neglecting the team lately, yet I can't help being both surprised and a tad peeved that it would be _**him**_ making that comment… because he isn't exactly the one most willing to share activities with me ! I already spent time with Cyborg and Robin, to help the first one with his car and with security systems checks, and the second one with criminal archive… but with Beast Boy, I almost never did anything, as far as I can recall ! So HOW could he be missing me ? Why would he feel the need to have me more present with the team ? That just doesn't make sense ! He intervened in a matter that didn't really affect him, and that indeed ticks me off !"

Jinx laid her hand on Raven's shoulder, clearly commiserative.

"Hey, don't grant it too much importance. I know how you feel, why you're aggravated, and I'm really sorry it annoyed you. But even if he isn't the one most "qualified" to raise that issue, you must admit that the most important is that he is right. We spend so much time together that it leaves little for your friends. And I don't want that."

Raven's eyes grew wider and lit up with indignation.

"Hell, I'm not going to renounce staying with you simply because someone who never does anything in my company is complaining "on behalf of" others !"

A few books got coated in black and flew off the shelf, landing on the other side of the room.

The horn-haired one understood that her girlfriend's emotions were getting loose under wrath's influence.

"Hey, calm down, calm down, Rae ! Your anger is getting the best of you." quickly advised Jinx, putting her hand on Raven's cheek and starting to stroke it with her thumb.

The Azarathian didn't reply, but her eyes briefly looked away, as she felt slightly ashamed about having allowed her wrath out. She certainly didn't want to lose control, but this time for a supplementary reason : she didn't want to give Rage, which she had just imprisoned for a whole month, the occasion to feel the intoxicating power of anger rise within her again. Rage didn't deserve it, and therefore was she, Raven, forced to maintain her self-control the best she could, even more during her violent emotion's imprisonment.

Jinx moved around Raven and positioned herself behind the Cloaked Titan.

"It's not worth getting all worked up about that, you know…" the pink-haired said as she languorously wrapped her arms around the violet-eyed and rested her head against the back of the empath's. "We can still have plenty of time together, can't we ?" She squeezed the adored body in her arms, enjoying the warmth radiating from the azarathian organism. "So let's try to adapt and not prejudice our friends by being excessively exclusive, mmmmh ?" She then nuzzled at Raven's nape, gently rubbing her nose against the silky skin of the female once destined to end the world. " I don't want you to get angry and allow your energy to unwind on objects, so just relax…" She laid a kiss on the loved nape.

Raven suddenly vanished from her place, her body turning into a mass of black that disappeared into thin air.

Jinx goggled at that.

"But what…?"

In the blink of an eye, the black mass returned and Arella's daughter reappeared in front of Jinx… but this time, she was facing her, not giving the pink witch her back !

The grey bare legs closed around the Hex's waist, ankles pressed tightly together behind Jinx.

"Did I scare you ?" asked a smirking empath as she lovingly wrapped her arms around Jinx's neck.

"Not really scared me. More like surprised me."

"Mmmmh… let me apologize for surprising you then…" amorously whispered the Dark Titan as she pulled Jinx's head closer, until their faces were touching.

The Pink Titan let her eyes close as she welcomed the sweet gift that was laid on her lips.

Their heads moved slowly as the kiss lasted, lasted.

Finally, they parted, smiling bright.

"Rae, I want to try a real kiss…" eagerly soughed the pink-eyed female, her hand excitedly caressing the soft violet head of hair.

"You want to do it… with the tongue ?" the addressee asked, just for form.

The horned enchantress nodded, feeling her heartbeats slam hard in her chest.

Raven swallowed her saliva. This would be new to her, and it therefore made her nervous… yet at the same time, she couldn't help wondering _how_ it would be.

Jinx had noticed her lover's unease, and immediately understood what the matter was.

"It's… It's your first time, isn't it, Rae ?"

"Yeah… I'm nervous… I just can't help it…"

"I get it, be sure I do. It's the first time for me too, to be honest. But I naturally don't want to insist if you don't feel -"

"NO !" almost screamed the Dark Titan. Then she spoke lower : "No, I… I want to try. I said I was nervous, but… that doesn't mean I refuse to do it with you. I was just… you know, trying to get used to the idea, and prepare myself for it. But I definitely want to kiss you… for real !" She then felt herself blushing as a wave of heat hit her face. "I'm sure it will be wonderful."

Jinx observed her carefully.

"Well… if you're definitely sure…"

She purposefully left her sentence pending, waiting for the reaction.

"I am. Let's do it. Let's let our love overflow." confirmed the teen who had once been raised by austere monks with a most puritanical perspective of life.

She was finally back to smiling, after a moment of hesitation.

The feminine wizards got closer and let their arms find the now well-known way around the necks, the amethyst and kunzite **(1)** magnetized with a rare intensity.

Time seemed to slow down as they leaned forward and closed their eyes.

Both mouths stuck to each other again and at first kissed tenderly, as usual… but they soon opened to let tongues shyly meet in the middle, probing mutually for long seconds, before the Violet Sorceress allowed the Pink one in her welcoming wet cavern.

They gently moaned as their tongues slowly entwined in Raven's mouth, experiencing their first deep kiss.

Their hearts beat powerfully as their mouths moved over each other, the "flesh dancers" inside engaged in a sensuous slow, arms squeezing tightly both overheating bodies, hands turning clammy.

Then it was Raven to make her own intrusion, and Jinx gladly "let her in", inviting her to explore her own oral cavity. The inexperienced demonic human, who had been abstemious for years, now discovered the incredible power of love as she shared such intense intimacy with the girl she loved more than she thought possible, and she was truly delighted to let her tongue cautiously wander in that space it wasn't familiar with but that welcomed her so trustfully, so eagerly.

Jinx moaned as she wound her tongue around her beloved's, her excitement only growing upon experiencing this for the first time as well. She knew it was nothing dirty, nothing vicious : no, snogging was just one of the most precious, most marvelous proofs of love one could offer. Only conceiving a child with a loved one could override it, in terms of offerings.

The deep kiss stretched on in time, none of the girlfriends ready to give it a rest.

But when they finally parted, panting heavily, their eyes, who were more magnetized than ever, had the most magical sparkle ever in their depths : Love's sparkle !

"Jinki… it… it was… really… incredible…" panted Raven, goggling, mouth agape.

"S…Same here… Rae… I… I just… couldn't… get enough…" Jinx said in a similarly breathless speech, her pupils no longer vertical but now fully dilated under pleasure's effect.

The Pink Sorceress nested her face against the empath's neck, mouth closed but exhaling and inhaling loudly through her nose.

"I love you, Raven of Azarath !" finally managed to utter a fulfilled Jinx.

"I love you too, Jinx of… well, wherever you may be from !" replied Raven.

Both girls couldn't avoid a fit of giggles at that totally unexpected witticism from the once serious, emotionless Cloaked Titan.

When they finally calmed down, Raven held Jinx closer against her, cradling her most fondly while gently stroking the pink horn-shaped mass of hair.

In the end, the violet half-demon put the pink one in front of her and gazed intensely at her, smiling tenderly.

"Jinki… I don't want you to leave, to go back to your own room… I would like you to stay here and sleep with me… Nothing more than cuddling and kissing, mind you ! I don't think I can bear your absence after this extremely pleasing moment… I want to have you with me and kiss you again… and wake up in your arms tomorrow morning !"

The Badlucker, who now considered herself the luckiest girl ever, almost felt like crying.

"Rae… it's… I… sorry, the emotion… it's overwhelming…"

She rapidly wiped her eyes, whose corners had started to water.

"It's the most beautiful, the most touching thing I have ever been told. And I accept, with all my heart, with all my soul. I don't want to leave neither. I need your arms around me, your lips on mine, your tongue around mine. What we experienced was so powerful that I… I just can't sleep on my own, this night. Can't remain alone any single second anymore. I've never loved that much, Rae !"

Then a doubt hit her.

"But what will we do about my room ? If someone comes in and find my bed empty, then…"

"Don't worry, Love. I know what to do."

And walking the walk as well as talking the talk, the dark magician lifted her arms and her hand glowed black.

Then that energy vanished and the hand rested again on her lover's back.

"I have just encased your door in dark energy, so that nobody can get in. You're covered. We both are, actually, since my door is blocked as well."

Jinx turned to notice the door to Raven's room indeed was still coated in black power.

She turned back to the one who protected their secret love so efficiently.

"Thanks, Love. I'm so happy to stay here with you. I'm so honored to sleep with you, in your own bed. I can't find words fit enough to fully express my gratitude."

The gemstone bearer smirked.

"If you can't find words… then find _actions_ !"

And the formerly so impassive teen winked suggestively at her girlfriend.

The penitent villain grinned, getting the hint, and the next second, she was kissing her fellow sorceress passionately, their buss no longer superficial…

That night, both enchantresses peacefully slumbered together for the first time, tightly huddled, Jinx's face against Raven's neck.

And all the tension and frustration of that day magically vanished, surrendering under Love's unbeatable power…

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**** :**

**(1) Kunzite : you guys may know that amethyst is violet, after reading other fictions using the gemstone amethyst to qualify Raven's eyes. Well, I was looking for a typical pink gemstone for Jinx's eyes, and it was difficult, coz most pink ones are actually varieties from a precious stone whose main colour is not pink, but red, blue, green… but as for ****original**** pink gemstones, quite tricky to find… until I came across kunzite, whose basis colour is indeed pink, and to which I can compare Jinx's eyes. Therefore, Raven's eyes are violet like amethyst, while Jinx's eyes are pink like kunzite.**

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**Hum, only one Author's Note, this time ? That's rare…**

**Okay, so as Raven briefly stated : "nothing more than cuddling and kissing" during the girls' first night together, sharing the same bed, as a real couple. I said that there wouldn't be explicit stuff, therefore nothing sexual. Snogging is hot, yes, but it's not M-rated content : it's still T-rated. And as Jinx realizes : it's not "dirty", as those effing puritans claim, it's on the contrary an immense proof of love.**

**There were negative vibes in this chappy, so I felt like compensating for that with a final hopeful moment : the one where the two lesbians finally give each other the real kiss of love, the one that, unlike standard kiss, involves more than just the lips. I just… LOVED ;) writing this extremely tender scene between the two lovers, and tried to make it at the same time intense and touching.**

**On another note, Jinx and Raven now know they can't been overly exclusive, at the risk of putting in danger the bonds that unite Raven to her friends. But that doesn't mean they must stay away from each other most of the time… thankfully not !**

**I also succinctly mentioned one of the Titans discreetly looking at Jinx… yet ****not**** Raven. Any idea who ? We'll see what happens with this…**

**Oh, and before we leave, I send heartfelt thanxxxx to my faithful **_**Icy**_** for once again reviewing. She was the only one to put her opinion for last chappy, and I was glad she did… coz, given my being particularly pleased with that chapter, I was all the more disappointed that nobody had reviewed… So, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou, dear **_**Icy**_** for doing what I was waiting someone to ! :DDD**

**As my dear Writerzero always says at the end of each of her chapters : "Many thanks to those who read and review."**

**Peace, Love, Ecstasy !**

**)))))))))))))))))))))) Joyful Divisioner (((((((((((((((((((((((**


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